Off To Santa Fe We Go
by writergirl89
Summary: Arriving to a long-awaited medical conference in Santa Fe, Mindy thinks things will go smoothly. Little does she know, a mistake has been made and she now has to share a room with one of her two male companions.
1. This Oughtta Be Fun

**Title:** Off To Santa Fe We Go (AKA Mindy & Danny Get Stuck Sharing A Room)

**Chapter 1:** This Oughtta Be Fun

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** The Mindy Project

**Rating:** M (for language, innuendo, future limes & lemons)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy (implied past Mindy/Jeremy)

**Summary:** Based off of pieces of dialogue from 'In The Club'. Arriving to a long-awaited medical conference in Santa Fe, Mindy assumes everything will go smoothly. Little does she know that a mistake has been made and she now has to share a room with one of her two male companions. Guess which one?

**Author's Note:** Hey! Just re-watched the aforementioned MP episode where I got this idea when in the beginning of said episode Mindy is questioning Danny and Jeremy on what hotel rooms to book for a conference. This just sprang up and I know this premise has been probably been done to death on television and even more so in fanfic so, I hope you don't hang me for this and give your most honest feedback! Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this show and Mindy Kaling is NOT my friend (best or otherwise) but, I DO plan on changing at least one of these unfortunate things.

…

It's not exactly wholely explainable as to how Mindy Lahiri ends up sharing a hotel room with one Danny Castellano.

Okay, well, maybe it is.

Maybe if two _certain_ co-workers would have gotten back to her like they were supposed to, she would have gotten the three rooms early and hey, this would NOT have happened.

But, they didn't and sooo… _this_ happens:

They arrive at the Hotel Santa Fe Historic Plaza tiny bit later than normal because yeah, her two idiot colleagues don't know how to answer phones (funny, considering how much one of them spends updating his Twitter feed for like, ever.).

So, to that, they arrive a half an hour later for check-in than Mindy has scheduled many times in her head.

"But, I booked three rooms." She tries saying calmly to the front desk lady who has a bad tan around leathery crow's feet and who promptly gives her the evil eye.

"You came late. We gave your rooms to someone else."

"Okay." She breathes in and out to avoid losing because yeah, _so not pretty_. "Is there any chance to re-consider this?"

The old woman gives her a hard look before punching at her keyboard and after a minutes, she is told that the medical conference has, of course, _stuffed up_ the hotel and there are two rooms left that could be given out quickly if they don't grab them now.

The guys come in after she talks to Leather Lady and the first thing they argue about is that they do not wanna share a room because_ they are men and a pissing contest will erupt_. Her thoughts, not their words.

The only logical next thing is for Mindy to share a room with one of them.

Jeremy gives her a lascvious smile which makes her gag silently because mistakes made at home _stay_ at home and she came to Santa Fe for work and quite possibly great Mexican food. Not to test her bad judgement.

Besides, she knows she's not imagining things when she sees that he's been hanging around Betsy a lot more than normal lately and yes, although, he totally doesn't deserve her, she won't side-sweep that development.

Her eyes land on Danny. Well, she could do worse, can she? And it's not like they are at the office where for whatever reason, in front of others, they have a tendency to barter insults like it's going outta style.

And maybe, just maybe, the change of scenery could possible make them act more civilized towards each other.

Ha-ha! In your dreams. Her brain tiiters pettily.

And that, my friend, is how Mindy Lahiri ends up sharing a room with one Danny Castellano.

The room isn't so bad, she thinks. It's lodgy and cozy like the downstairs lobby and at the very least, they have two beds, thankfully.

She hears the bathroom door open next to her and out comes her roommate.

She's not sure why her palms are a little clammy being in the same room with him right now and it's a little disconcerning because it's freaking Danny and she's never had to share a hotel room with him before.

"We have the conference at 6." She says out loud as though he doesn't know because for once, she has nothing else to say.

"I know." He says shortly with a curt nod before grabbing stuff out of his luggage and moving again to the bathroom without so much as a look in her direction.

_Well, this oughtta be fun_

_._..

_Why did she have to pick a room with me?_ Danny thinks to himself while readying himself for a shower.

Of course the universe has to be against him to room him with Mindy Lahiri. The woman he's been insulting, bickering with, and wanting since he first met her a few years ago.

Yes, he wants Mindy. Very badly.

But, she doesn't need to know that, now does she?

He could handle her at work, where she prances around vocalizing her silly delusions about life and love with her stupid romantic comedy theories and that simultaneously sweet and annoying high-pitch to her voice.

Neverminding that, in his dreams, that voice is a great deal lower, sensual, and practically begging for him to fuck her as he continues to tease and taunt her-

He shakes his head to ward off the thoughts. _No, no, no, no, no, no... You can do this, Danny! stronger than this, man! She has no hold over you. She's just a woman. A woman you work with. A woman who annoys you. A woman who has an aggravating voice. Yeah, a woman you don't like. A woman you want with every-_

Okay, that won't work.

Maybe this is just karma, he thinks, for being an outward asshole to her at work and making fun of her weight even as he still fantasizes _that_ night about unwrapping her like a tantalizing gift so that he could-

Well, at least she isn't sharing a room with Jeremy.

He smirks at this tidbit.

Yeah, the very last thing he wants is for her to share a hotel room with Jeremy. Her fuckbuddy.

He knows they just sleep together occasionally but, he doesn't need that happening here.

Maybe it_ is_ better that they're the ones to share a room. He could handle himself and has enough self-control to avoid any... messy incidents.

Like incidently ending up in bed with Mindy himself.

His mouth goes dry and his traitorous body goes hard at the thought.

But, he's fine. He's great.

He could handle this just fine.

He's calm and perfectly fine.

_Well, this oughtta be fun._ His brain snidely comments despite himself.

...

**Author's Note 2:** Hope you liked! :) I really enjoyed writing it and I also wanna encourage any and all feedback, just as long as it's helpful and/or nice and not mean, okay. We're all friends here.

**Prompt Alert 3:** Future fic. Danny goes through the motions of having to ask Mindy to marry him. Have a go! Can invlove lemons or not, whatever you choose. Good luck! :)


	2. Dinner?

**Chapter 2:** Dinner?

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** The Mindy Project

**Rating:** K+

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Okay, so, wanna thank everyone who has reviewed and added my story to their alerts and such. This is my first multi-chap for Mindy Project and I'm truly pleased that so far I've recieved encouraging notices to continue this. :) I've written many stories on FF already for other diffrent fandoms but, this has become my favorite new show and I'm glad there are others to share my interest in it, so thanks!

**Disclaimer:** Don't make me admit it. :(

...

Danny knows he can concentrate _real_ nicely on the speaker up ahead at the podium if he tries hard enough.

If he tries hard enough, that is, to not be distracted by a certain colleague who has the guile to look _that_ good in business attire and a bun (_a fucking bun!)_ on the top of her head.

He vaguely finds the outfit familiar when she first meets he and Jeremy downstairs for the conference, only to later realize belatedly that she wore the very same thing when - a month before - they have to conduct interviews for replacement nurses and end hiring Morgan. The tight pencil skirt hugging and embracing her hips just as matching pumps add length to shapely legs. The type of attire she has _no_ business wearing around the office and even more so at a medical conference where she is sharing a room with him and walking out of their shared bathroom, an hour before said conference, bare-faced and hair wet from a shower, looking so sweet and unguardedly sexy that it makes his stomach hurt.

His eyes stealthily side-glance the dark strength of her legs and he almost wants to force himself to make a crack that that skirt is _far_ too inappropriate but, the opportunity passes when she looks at him to ask for a pen because hers has clearly run out of ink and she's still taking notes like she likes to do at these things.

He knows something is wrong when he just hands her an extra pen from his shirt pocket, wisecrack hanging dead in his throat.

_This is so unfair._ He thinks cuttingly but, says nothing.

The feeling only gets worse as she smiles at him in thanks before turning back to the speaker and her notes, pushing her black glasses up her nose as she does.

The smile is brief, polite, and quick but, makes his chest feel a bit tight afterwards. If there's one thing he learns and_ continues_ to learn is that Mindy Lahiri's smiles (real, genuine, _honest-to-God_, smiles) are like tiny, overly saccharine, mini-candies.

They're sweet and addictive, only making you want more.

But, ultimately hazardous to your health and _can_ cause you stomach pains.

At least that's the way he thinks it.

He sees and hears fingers snap in front of his face.

"Danny?"

Speak of the devil.

"Danny, what's wrong with you? Were you even listening to the speaker? You know what, nevermind that, I have my notes in case some people decided to drown out other people-"

He watches and half-listens to her ramble for a bit before his mouth finally opens and instead of telling her to shut up, he just asks:

"Do you wanna have dinner?"

The words come out soo quickly he hardly realizes he's said them but, as a defeaning silence follows and she just _looks_ at him, he surmizes that _yes, he did say them_ and she heard him just fine.

Though, her response is: "What?"

She looks dumbfounded, incredulous and a little more than suspicious.

He doesn't blame her.

"Do you wanna have dinner with me?" He says a lot more clearly to her and to himself, making the moment here that much more real _and_ that much more concrete, his mouth going inexplicably dry as he looks at her surprised expression.

He says _inexplicably_ because otherwise it's nerves and Danny Castellano doesn't do nerves. Danny Castellano is all bold actions and aggressive confidence. _Not_ nerves.

And no, just _no_. Mindy makes him feel a lotta things but, she does_ not_ make him nervous.

"Dinner?" She repeats questioningly like a slow child. "Dinner, like just the two of us, dinner?

He takes a minute before choosing simplicity over too many words because yeah, he doesn't feel like getting into the fact he just asked her out and that inviting Jeremy along would just piss him off and in turn sour his mood with _her_, which he finds, to his infinite shock, he _doesn't_ want.

He just wants hopefully good food. Just the two of them. One-on-one. For once, civil to one another.

He wants a date. A date with Mindy.

Fuck.

But, again, simplicity, so out comes: "Yes."

...

**A/N 2:** Well, what'd you think? I know it's a little shorter than the first chapter but, it was all I could think of for this chapter. And yeah, Danny is a little... not himself here but, in my mind he's obviously been feeling something for Mindy for quite a while and the out-pouring of said feelings in this chapter almost came without his permission and he's just pretty much going with it which is new for him so, we'll see.


	3. Not A Date

**Title:** Not A Date

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** The Mindy Project

**Rating:** K+

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy ( a little implied Betsy/Jeremy)

**Author's Note:** Sooo... I just recently read a New Girl story here that I did NOT like because for whatever reason, most of the authors (myself not included) have gotten into the whole angst thing and are encouraging others who are doing those type of fics and yeah, I've been a little disappointed lately. And maybe because of that, I have a feeling that I'll be spending a lot more time on this fandom more often than not (this and Being Human, which is coming back on January 14th, so, in terms of fanfiction, if I'm not working on this, I'm working on that). And who knows? I might come back to NG if I become inspired again. :)

**Disclaimer:** I'm not even gonna go there.

...

An hour, 33 minutes, and 22 seconds.

That exact time frame is how long it takes Mindy Lahiri (MD), to get ready for _whatever it is_ she's going to with Danny and _okay_, maybe a little more.

It takes her that and then some more to sit, stock still, on her hotel room bed, thinking it _might_ be a mistake to have dinner with a work colleague who does nothing but, insult and try to get a rise out of her most the time before forcing herself, for once, not to overthink it and that they both have to eat and really, _clearly_, this is not something to worry about. This is not a date.

It takes her that and then some to look for an outfit, bemoaning she has _nothing_ to wear, despite the extensive wardrobe she'd packed, and then ultimately deciding on a magenta, just-above-the-knee, half-sleeved, sparkly number with simply black heels.

(_Not a date_).

It takes her that and then some to almost think on it again and attempt to talk herself out of going before Inner-Mindy beats the crap out of Outer-Mindy by yelling, _"STOP!_ _Even if it's a total bust, think about these sage words: There will be Mexican. There. Will. Be. Mexican."_ Whuch, yes, prompt her to pump the brakes, all the while thinking that her inner self is a wise soul.

(_Not a date_).

It also takes her that and then some to redo her make-up, all the while questioning herself that if this is not a date then why is she applying diffrent shades of lipstick before deciding on a pretty, matchy shade to her dress.

_Why?_

She'll tell you why: _Not a date_. That's why.

And sure, it takes her that and then some to check herself out in the mirror to make sure everything is in place, no bulges are showing through and _yay_, her legs look extra awesome in those heels.

And her hair? Same amount of time to produce long, pretty tresses.

In fact, she's so caught up in putting everything together that she nearly misses the knocks at the door.

Nearly.

With her time suddenly up, Mindy moves, walks to the door, looks to through the peephole to make sure it _is_ Danny... and then opens it.

...

It takes Danny Castellano everything he has to not back out on this (_whatever the hell_) thing with Mindy.

This (_whatever the hell_) thing that may or may not be a date.

This (_whatever the hell_) thing that may or may not be a date, whether he likes or not.

Which he doesn't.

No. He _doesn't_ want this to be a date.

He ignores any voice in his head telling him otherwise and Jeremy's knowing smirk when, in order to not see Mindy before their... thing, he goes to the Brit's room to kill time (and, God forgive him, _borrow some product_) after grabbing a new shirt and his man-hygiene kit before heading there, ahead of Mindy.

What gets him ultimately is that the Englishman does not seem to mind in the slightest to mind them having dinner alone together, considering the thing on the side he has with Mindy.

"It's about bloody time." He slaps Danny on the back in a futile attempt at encouragement. "Half the office has a pool on you two."

Danny stops mid-combing of his hair and gives his co-worker an incredulous look. "Excuse me?"

"Okay, _I_ have a pool on you two. Betsey, too, I suppose."

Thinking quickly and already wanting this talk off of he and Mindy. "That would be the Betsey you've been spending a lot of time with?", he points out smartly.

The newly flustered and stuttering Jeremy is almost worth having to borrow the guy's comb and hair products.

And here is where he finds himself: Outside his own hotel room, waiting for his roommate to answer so, that they can go on their... _um_...

_Date? Yes, date. Fine. Date. It's a date, alright? I'm going on a fucking date!_

_I'm going on a date._

_Oh, God._

His mouth drops and his heart plunges when Mindy answers the door wearing a purple-ish dress that sparkles and reaches a tiny above the knee and heels that make her legs go on for miles and yeah, he is pretty much screwed.

"Ready to go?"

"I, uh..." His mind is blank for a long moment before he could continue. "... I ... Yeah, yeah... Let's go." _Nice, Danny_. "We have a reservation and everything so..."

_You really should get lessons on speaking better English._ His mind snipes bitingly.

She gives him an odd look before going back in and then back out of the room with a little purse and he makes a consorted effort to move aside a few spaces so that she could walk ahead of him to give him air to think.

And no, he doesn't stare at her ass because that would be... well, that would be...

Okay, fine, he does look. And _stare_.

And it's only a few paces before he steps closer and rests a hand on the small of her back, her hair close enough to his nose that her fragrance of blackberries and light spices wafts up his nostrils welcomingly, the warmth of her skin meeting his palm through that killer of a dress.

(_It's a date_).

...

**A/N 2:** Hope you enjoyed! :) And thank you for reading. Happy Sunday and have a Happy Holidays!


	4. Going Well

**Title:** Going Well (AKA Kryptonite)

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** K+

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Howdy! Hope you guys have missed me! Cause I am just happy to see you again. :) I've been extroardinarily pleased with the response to my story three chapters in and the quick progression of our favorite couple's realtionship. I say quick, well, because it will be quicker than you might expect, especially considering the two characters I'm writing about and that is because of two reasons: First of all, I'm impatient and second of all, in my ind, these two have known a good while and what might seem like moving too fast for some people may not be the case for them. Cheers!

**Disclaimer:** Well, obviously, this isn't my baby. Just being the nanny for a bit.

...

The date is going well.

At least, from his end, it is.

And, he hopes, _hers_, too.

The restaurant is nice. A nice old steakhouse right near the Santa Fe Plaza with lights stringing over the columns outside as it is almost dark when they arrive there and he recalls sweating a whole lot when he asks the Leather Lady (Mary or whatever) at the front desk what she would recommend for a good, romantic restuarant (she actually says the word _for him_ when he sputters over it like a fourteen-year-old asking for a movie ticket on a first date) when, after looking at him surprised suilence, Mindy says yes to his dinner invitation.

Which, for whatever reason, Leather Mary seems to know.

"Are you taking your lady friend?"

"Excuse me?"

"The woman you-"

"Yes, I know who you're talking about. What makes you think I'm takin' _her_. What makes you think I'm not taking the guy we came with?" Why he's panicking over Grandma Leatherface wanting to know his business is still a mystery to him.

She gives a narrow-eyed look over large, duck-taped glasses and overly bushy eyebrows. "Are you?"

His mature response is to high-tail it out of there, a grumbled 'thank you' under his breath as he heads upstairs.

Gramps gives a look just this South of smug when she later sees him walking Mindy out of the hotel lobby to head to dinner, clearly telegraphing, _You're a liar and I know_ _what you did_. Like a teacher knowing he cheated on a test.

He manges to snag them a seating near the fireplace because, well, it's cool out and he knows Mindy has to suppress a slight shiver when they arrive and his honest-to-God intention is to keep her warm even if he can't physically do it himself.

He's really a gentleman. Honest.

He and Mindy have light conversation throughout waiting for their food and a non-tension filled quiet falls when they first share Chicken tacos and her Pub Steak and his Prime Rib later arrive at the table.

He fins himself pleased when she orfers what she does.

It's not often nowadays he finds a woman who eats anything that can even be considered palatable or flavorful. Just mostly watercress and lemon and a glass of water.

How the hell they live on that crap is beyond him.

He peeks over at Mindy as she relishes every bite of steak, a husky moan rising from her throat at the flavor.

_Oh, dear God._

He knows he's a stronger man then this. Knows it would not be smart of him to give away the torrant of thoughts running through his brain. Thoughts that include images of he and Mindy, a certain hotel room, and large amounts of physical activity that doesn't involve clothes.

_Christ._

...

Mindy is_ not_ liking this. She is_ not_ enjoying herself. Not at all.

And she is _not_ nervous.

She is not fraying with nerves at the thought that this may very well be, not only a date, but a _good one_ at that.

No. No, she's none of those things.

And _no_, she's most definitely _not_ enjoying Danny's eyeballing appreciation of her dress and when his gaze travels over her while they board the elevater together to the hotel lobby and her breathes catches as he then re-palms the back of her dress to lead her, she tells herself it's because she doesn't like him eyeing her like that and that she _really_ doesn't want him touching her.

And _no sir_ is she flushing with giddiness when he opens the door for her at the car or slides the chair out for her to sit.

"Nice place." Not that he's trying to impress her or anything.

She thinks

"Glad you think so." If there's any bit of smugness in his tone, she ignores.

All in all, it's going well so far, without heated words or insults to throw at one another, Mindy finds him a lot easier to talk to and they discuss the conference and she finds herself sharing how nice it is to go out with someone and not have to impress them to which Danny grins.

When they're eating and another bottle of wine arrives, he pours it for her without asking.

"I don't like you." She says without any real bite and he smiles knowing at her, his dark eyes dancing in the firelight, which in turn makes other things (_butterflies?_) dance in her stomach.

Dammit.

"Yes, you do." He says with an assurance she might find annoying otherwise.

"Only because you took me to dinner." She responses.

A suspicious silence follows those words.

"So, this is just dinner?" He asks with a weird-sexy-but-still-weird seriousness/humor that it makes her a little speechless at first.

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" Good one, Lahiri.

He gazes at her with those damn eyes of his. "What do you think?" He finally inquires with a strange inflection in his voice.

She says nothing else after that and continues to eat, sipping at her red wine slowly as to not take to much that her good judgement be hindered.

She also tries her hardest not to glean into the speculation that everytime she moans in pleasure from her awesome meal, he looks like what he wants most is not on the menu.

She says she's stuffed when they both finish but, when the dessert menu arrives, she eagerly jumps on that shit.

"I thought you were full?"

She smiles at him. "There's always room for dessert."

_Oh, snap. Did she flirt with him? Oh, yes, she did._

And then he's looking at her with _that_ expression again and she realizes that she should probably choose her words a little more carefully.

She's only_ too_ glad that the chocolate cake she orders doesn't have the word 'gasm' at the end of it.

She reaches for the bill when it arrives but, he grabs it first. "I don't do dutch."

She lets him pay.

It's only when they're walking slowly to the car afterwards that the implication sinks in.

This was (i_s_) a date.

_Oh, God._

Before she could completely freak out though, he speaks first, shoulder bumping close to hers and her breath wipes out when he trails hand over her arm down to her hand, turning to face him when he does the same. "I had a nice time."

There's no irony and not even a pinch of asshole-snark in his tone and the unbearably, _unexpectedly_ earnest way he admits this causes the major buzz she still has at the red wine all that much more worse.

And even though, it might be a bad idea - bad, _not_ terrible - she takes in the look on his face (_handsome, serious_), his eyes (_dark, gorgeous, liquid, and penetrating_) and makes a swift decision.

She leans up and in just a little closer... and presses her lips to his, her mind not taking into account the fact that this is the same colleague who breaks her down with insults and makes fun of her life most of the time.

No. She doesn't think about that. She thinks about how nice he's been, how great this dinner was, how unbelievably good he looks and how nice he smells (_like cologne and_ _hotel soap_), and how freaking unreal things got the moment he asked her out on this... _date_.

Mindy assumes that it is this very moment in time, that she realizes nice, honest words from Danny Castellano's mouth can quite possible become her personal kryptonite.


	5. Let's Go

**Title:** Let's Go

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** M (sex!)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I've been extremely excited to have written this story and I'm soo pleased of the reaction of it as well. :) And yeah, if you looked at the rating, this will be the chapter when Mindy and Danny get it on, so enjoy that development because I will. ;) And yes, as I have said before, this may be speedy of me to make them go _there_ soo quickly but, again I'm impatient and these two want each other so, whatever. ;)

**Prompt Alert #4:** Soo, I was looking through LiveJournal (don't ask) and found this lovely fic prompt that the hostess (lukecanwaltz88) is allowing me to pass along to you guys. And, here it is: Based on the scene in the pilot where Danny asks those 'is he a man' questions at the end there with Mindy in the breakroom. Basically, a story where Mindy realizes through Danny's actions that he _is_ that guy he was talking about and also, how she starts to reconcile her feelings for him as the realization of their inevitability for each other starts sinking in. Nice, yes? Also, it may or may not be smutty if you so choose and the phrase 'I love you' should be used at least once by one of them. And it would be nice if it could stay on Mindy's POV because I don't think, in terms of romance fics, that her feelings haven't been fully explored. Good luck! :)

**Disclaimer:** Own none of this.

...

His lips are soft. Softer than she initially thinks possible. Soft and full (_does she notice? Of course, she has!)._

Mindy thinks this. She thinks this as her heeled feet bring her closer to Danny. As her hands find their way to his hard chest, that hides beneathe his _really_ nice dress shirt (_soft, black, tight, button-up_). As he stiffens slightly before it passes quickly and he responses to her, strong arms wrapping around her, pulling her tighter, against him. She thinks this as his lips start moving with hers, parting slowly and caressing hers like a pro.

His tongue is next (_warm, exploring_) and meets hers, a groan escaping him as it does, causing her stomach to go fluttery and off-kilter in a way it hadn't in a _very_ long time (_maybe ever_), any kind of restraint he may be experiencing turning rapidly into enthusiasm and a great deal of passion, big hands sliding up and down her back.

She feels the heat of his body, the strength in those arms, the surprising gentleness of his hands and somehow, he manages to walk them blindly up against something solid without her noticing, pinning her there with a knee between her legs as her hands wind up in his dark hair, holding his head as she kisses him.

He then draws back a bit enough to change the angle of their mouths and kisses her again - long, deep, soft, wet kisses. Shallow kisses. Juicy kisses. His skillful tongue and lips tasting her, savoring her. Sucking and biting her lower lip and then going back to tease the corners of her mouth, rough sounds coming from him as he continues to explore.

She vaguely feels him shift a bit, boldly grabbing her thigh and settling it over one of his hips and suddenly his knee is gone and it's just _him_, hard and ready, pressing onto her as he full-bodiedly traps her, gasping with little air as he grinds himself into her underwear and yeah, definitely, _his_ erection.

The feel of him _there_ makes this too much at that very moment and she's about to pull away, to stop before things can go to far when a loud noise - a bottle breaking - sounds out into the air and that captures_ his_ attention and he yanks away from her, head whipping in the direction of the noise.

She follows his eyeline and sees two figures giggling and stumbling against one another and because her brain is still fuzzy from _what-the-fuck-just-happened_, she takes a long moment before recalling the young couple a few tables away from her and Danny, sharing a plate of food with giddy, youthful, lovey-dovey playfulness.

And judging by the way they're walking. The're drunk. _Very_ drunk.

Seeing that there is no psycho or whatever around, she turns to look at Danny and gets his profile as he looks after the couple.

He licks at his lips and she wonders what he thinks she tastes like before wiping the thought away just as he turns to face her.

She only then realizes that he still has her up against, what she now kn ows to be, the car but, says nothing, the words clogged in her throat as he stares at her with unfathomable eyes, his chest heaving with rapid breath, his hair a bit askew from her earlier raking.

He looks _soo_ incredibly sexy, she has half a mind then to just kiss him again (_public indecency be damned_).

But, she opens her mouth to speak, to say something. But, what, though? Scold him? Apologize? Say how great making out with him is and could they do it again?

Before she could make up her mind, he talks first: "Let's go back to the hotel."

_Okay, not what she was expecting..._

"But-" She has to speak now. She has to or she will go mad. He doesn't get to dictate this. He doesn't get to kiss her like that and then swipe under the rug.

He leans in closer with a hand next to her head. "Let's. Go. Back. To. The. Hotel." His voice is husky and he gives her a stern, kind of smoldering look that, even through her fuzzy brain, makes her get the message finally.

"Oh."

_Oh._

He backs off then and walks around the car, opening the passenger door for her expectedly and she walks over and gets in without a word, plopping down onto her seat as he heads to the driver's side.

All the way back to the hotel, she keeps licking her lips, tasting him.

...

They get back to the hotel in a very impressive amount of time. Even considering that Danny speeds like a bat outta hell and as much as Mindy is a little flattered that he wants so badly to get her in bed that he's willing to risk damage to their rental, she can't help but freak out a bit with the way he white-knuckles the steering wheel and accelerates to much and stares intensely ahead at the road like he's in some weird racing movie.

She also can't help but worry about what he's planning for her.

Like, will he be bossy, demanding, pushy, and dominant with all the focus she sees when he's in surgery?

Blood rushes to her head at the image of him on top of her, that look on his face when he's concentrating hard-

_"He's probably intio weird stuff, like biting."_ She recalls telling Shauna at that dance club, only really wanting to assuage the rejection the younger girl was facing, not really putting real stock or fact into her words.

Right now, though, she doesn't need to question as to why _weird stuff, like biting_ sounds appealing to her at the moment.

She also swears he winks at Leather Mary at the front desk. _What's that about?_

He rushes her through the lobby and into the elevators before she could blink, punching in the floor number and stands next to her, making her all to aware of him.

And suddenly there's silence.

And she has time to think.

Should she do this? Should she give into the sudden impulse to go to bed with a colleague who hurts her feelings and enjoys insulting her for his own amusement? Should she? Should she, really?

She's made mistakes when it comes to men before. In anything, she's pretty sure she is becoming an expert at it.

She's made mistakes. She knows how they feel. Exhilirating and feels _soo_ wrong, it's right.

This doesn't feel ike that.

Not at all.

In fact, all she feels right now is how... right it feels. How inevitable it's starting to feel.

And she finds she has to say something. Anythingm, to covey this epiphany.

She turns to say it-

- "Danny" -

But, again, her words don't come.

Her words don't come because his mouth is over hers again.

And her mind shuts off.

...

Whatever Mindy wants to say to him is barely out of her mouth before Danny kisses her. Hard. Because he's run out of patience and there's not enough air in the elevator when she's _right there_, standing next to him, looking tousled and irresistable, smelling like blackberries and spices and when he licks at the inner corners of his mouth all he tastes is her. All he wants and needs is her.

He swallows her gasp and pins her to the elevator wall, boosting her hips to match his, and blindly slamming a palm onto the stop button as her fingers twist into the collar of his button-up, the faintest hint of his cologne on her clothes, her hair the scent of earthy shampoo.

She's panting when she pulls at his shirt, unbuttoning frantically and digging her nails into his skin, to which he grunts loudly, and pulls his mouth away from her throat to look at her as she opens his shirt.

He watches as she spreads it opens, spanning fingers, feeling up the taunt muscles of his chest and abdomen, the hard planes there. Smoothing both palms over and down his stomach, moving the shirt over his shoulders, and then back again.

But, when she moves to his belt buckle, his hands fly there, stopping her for the moment and her eyes fly to his sheepishly.

"Sorry."

"Don't be but, Jesus, Mindy-"

"You started this."

"Then I'd better finish it." He says softly before leaning in and sealing her lips to his again, softly but, intensely, exploring her again for the few seconds it takes until the kiss grows passionate again.

He traps her once more, encpuraging her to slip her legs over his hips as they continue on, her moan low and damn sexy as he snakes a hand under the hem of her distracting dress, angles his fingers between her panties and skin and pushes two into the slit of her sex.

And she's so hot and slick that his knees almost buckle.

Their mouths are persistent to each other as he peels off her underwear and she goes back to his belt and zipper.

And they don't waste a minute before he's between her legs again and she angles him just as he cups her thighs long enough to-

- All these years of _foreplay_ -

The sound that rips itself from his throat is simultaneously needy and deeply guttural as she engulfs him slowly before he has it in him to focus to flick his thumb onto her swollen nub, making her let out the sexiest moan he's ever heard in his life as she spreads her knees and takes his whole, full length.

The force of it all, the way she finally slams herself down on him, shakes him, his legs knocking together, his vision almost blurring because_ shit_, she feels good. _Hot. Wet._ _Tight. Mindy._

He fucks hard against the wall, swallowing her moans and cries with passionate kisses and making her crazy with dirty words and promises.

This could ruin him, he decides, this feeling of being inside her.

She tosses her head back, whimpers so high and desperate he can barely think straight, making him strain and arch under her.

She looks unspeakably beautiful at this moment and he feels smug when he realizes he is doing to her,_ for_ her.

They go on a few more moments before Mindy climaxes and the slick clench of her sex makes him almost blind as he shudders and comes himself.

"Wow." She whimpers above him, fingers stuck in his hair as he buries his face into her cleavage.

"Yeah." He responses in a daze, hardly able to breathe after_ that_.

(He makes her repeat those _same_ words, throughout the night, by the way. _Many_ times.)

...

**A/N 2:** Hope you enjoyed! ;)


	6. Spooning, Freaking Out, & Letting Go

**Title:** Spooning, Freaking Out, & Letting Go

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** M (language & sex; can't help it, folks!)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Hi guys! Really glad you all have been giving me AWESOME feedback and great reviews for my story and am quite grateful any one of you who think that things between our favorite couple are moving too fast have not said anything becaise, guess what? I _know_ already! As I've mentioned on my last author's note, I am well-aware that this may seem like they're moving _too_ fast but, like I said, I'm impatient and well, don't you _want_ this to happen? ;) Anyhow, I actually wanted to get that out of the way before I admit to having seen Chris Messina's (actor behind Danny) latest indie film, _28 Hotel Rooms_. I say admit because it's not like a shameful secret or anything but, it has been weeks since I saw it and I have disappointingly, _repeatedly_ forgotten to let you guys know I saw it and I also say latest _indie_ film because honestly, the man seems to be in _everything_ during this past year (_Ago_, which I have also seen, _Ruby Sparks_, _Giant Mechanical Man_, _Celeste & Jesse Forever_, etc.,) so, I didn't wanna confuse you guys by saying just _latest film_ and you guys going, _'but, isn't he in those others, too?'_. Anyway, I'll be sure to let you guys know what I thought of the film in my end notes so, keep an eye out.

**Disclaimer:** *weeps* Just go. Just read on.

...

Danny's asleep.

Okay, really, honestly, he's _half_-asleep. As in, he_ was_ in a deep sleep. A cozy, cocoon-like slumber he at first refused to get out of before slowly, reluctantly coming to awareness through a drowsy haze to start to comprehend that he's doing something he would never readily,_ willingly_, do even in the most dire of circumstances and under threat of bodily harm and torture.

He, Danny Castellano (Badass, MD), is..._ spooning_. His arm draping itself across her waist, a knee sandwiched between legs, and a _half-a-case_ of morning wood pressing into naked, _warm_ skin.

He's spooning someone (a female someone), a round, soft, _oh-so_ feminine female someone who's curled just as close to him and who smells like blackberries, sweet spices, and something _else_. Something that is a crossbreed of his cologne and a heavier element. A musk of some kind.

Then, he remembers _Mindy_ and his arms tighten instinctively around his sleeping companion.

He also realizes that the tickle in his nose is due to the fact that he has half his face buried in her dark hair and the slight tingling sensation on the back of his hand is her fingers unconsciously drawing little designs there in lazy, little movements, sliding her smaller, softer digits through his broader, calloused ones before caressing the back of it again and repeating her tiny patterns, causing the hairs there to stand up and for his grip on her hip to tighten.

The hand-fondling is starting to drive him mad, to be honest. The half-hard state he's already in, even after the copious amounts of sex they had, now _soo_ aroused and ready, he thinks_ it_ might have a heartbeat.

The feeling worsens as her hips start slowly gyrating into him in tiny, tantalizing circles, bringing her closer and closer until he is as pressed into her as he can without actually being inside her.

Which, he wants. Right the fuck _now_.

He remembers the years behind them. Their history. The waiting and wanting. The feelings and yearnings-

Without even a moment of hesitation, he starts moving with her just as she slides the hand at her hip under the thin sheets right _there_, letting his fingers press into her heat and swollen folds, and he hears her gasp, knowing the pleasure she's feeling is radiating from her clit all the way through her body, spreading her legs and backing into him with a long, drawn-out moan. _"Ohhh..."_

He mouths the side of her neck as he puts the utmost skill into his fingers as they move. In and out. In and out. Rubbing her, then plunging deep inside her with a quiet, wet sound.

Another moan. Huskier. Longer. With his name. _"Ohhh... Ohhh, Danny..."_

She sounds good like this. She sounds wanton. Free.

Absolutely _gorgeous_.

He slides the sheet away from between them, removing his fingers from her and gripping her chin to turn her face to his.

Smokey, glimmering pools of desire stare back up at him. Looking but, not focusing. Wanting him. Needing his touch.

"So beautiful." He kisses her wetly, hungrily, then groans. "So tight." Fingers thrust into her with a pace she catches onto quickly, rolling her hips in rhythm. "I'm _never_ waiting this long again." His voice is raw, hoarse, sounding almost foreign to his ears.

She grabs the back of his neck and kisses him back, taking and recieving. Hips rocking forward, he listens to their combining sounds, hearing a beautiful, harsh soundtrack. Discorded. Dissonant. Them.

Still kissing him, he grunts when he feels her grab him and then move one of her legs over his hip, positioning his cock just right, then breaking their kiss and keeping their eyes steady on each other, searching his own for something and he stares back at her, letting her see him. Letting her see _everything_.

And she apparently finds it because the next thing he knows, she firmly kisses him and reaches down, holding him still as she slides him inside her, hissing at the pressure of his thickness opening her up, his hands sliding up and over her hips, smoothing and caressing her skin, keeping her gaze on his all the while, feeling smug when those expressive eyes cloud up in arousal.

"Mindy..." He breathes in a throaty whisper. "... I ... God, you're gorgeous." He kisses the corners of her mouth, exhaling.

_"Ahhh..."_ She moans in a high pitch, digging her nails into his hair and pulling slightly. "I..." He interrupts by sliding out of her and going right back, causing her eyes to roll up into her head. "I... didn't know..." She trails off, thrusting back into him with relish, his cock going and out, his thumb dropping down and rubbing in gentle circles.

"Oh, Danny..."

The way she says his name. _Moans_ it like she's experiencing something mind-blowing and startling yanks a growling noise right out of his chest and he kisses her deeply, passionately, before his mouth can run away from him and say something embarrassing (like _I've wanted this for soo long_ or_ I love you_).

Ignoring the new pressure in his chest, the growing tenderness in his heart for the woman crying his name, he moves faster, grabbing the full globes of her ass. "You feel so fucking good." Thumbing her clit, sucking in a breath when her muscles squeeze him, ramblings growing more and more filthy. "Nothing compares to being inside you." He thrusts harder, his own words egging him on. "I think about this... You and me... Your tight, curvy body fucking my cock. Just like this."

He pounds into her, thoroughly giving her the ride of her life. The kind of ride she would feel with every move she'd make when she would walk into the conference room in the light of day. When she sit down next to him in her alluring tight skirts.

The thought of her thinking of him everytime she walks is enough to spur him and he goes quicker still.

Then, suddenly, she's coming, clenching, fluttering around him, capturing him like a vice and _ugh_, why did they spend so much time arguing and bickering at each other when they could have just-

His mind blanks out completely on him when he comes. "Oh- Fuck, Mindy!"

The guttural tone of his voice makes her body clench again in response and he thrusts in and out of her, twitching and jerking inside her then spasming and burying himself within her one last time.

This time he doesn't bother complaining in his mind when he folds her body into his. Only humming deeply when her hair brushes the area over his heart.

...

At some point the early morning hours, Mindy wakes up, in a cozy warmth no less, with these thoughts in her head: She's naked and more than a little sore. She's naked and sore and cuddling a fast asleep Danny Castellano, her body wrapped around his, palm resting over his heart, her nose bumping into the area between his neck and shoulder, her inner knees pressing up against his... _um_..._ anatomy_.

And yeah, he's naked, too._ Sooo_ naked.

The room is quiet, save Danny's deep breathing and light snoring, and the air smells musky. Like sweat and sex. And yes, she is mildly freaking out over the simple fact it's pretty damn comfortable to sleep with someone like Danny freaking Castellano. The man radiating warmth like a furnace, smelling manly and beautiful, like stupid pricey cologne and his own skin underneathe, and okay, fine, honestly his body is pretty banging and the feel of all the solid muscle he brags about honing during lunch at work is making it hard for her to not bridge the gap into lady boner territory.

But, oh crap, the thought that they're both naked and cuddling brings forth the fact that she not only slept with him, but she_ slept_ with him.

_Oh boy, did she sleep with him._

Panic seeps out through her every pore and she tries very carefully to not jostle her bedmate, creeping out of his arms like a stealthy snail robbing a bank, only to end up falling on her ass onto the floor, grumbling _'why me?'_, under her breath whilst grabbing her cellphone from her nightstand, trying to keep an eye on Danny to make sure he doesn't wake up amd ask why she's sneaking around like she's stealing his wallet or something, clutching a thin white sheet to her chest like a sercurity blanket, walking silently on her tippy toes to avoid making lound noise while making a stilted beeline to the bathroom.

Half-way there she hears a lound grunt and whips her head around to see Danny rolling onto his stomach and burying his face into the pillow her head was on, her heart lodging in her throat when he nuzzles it with an audible sniff.

_Oh, crap._

When she safely situates herself in the bathroom, she allows her body to collapse in on itself with a sigh and immediately dials Gwen.

_"Hey! How's New Mexico?"_ Her best friend answers after two complete rings.

"I had sex with Danny!" She immediately blurts out, because, you know, these things have to be shared, pronto.

There's a long pause on the other end. A pause so long Mindy thinks that her best friend has hung up on her.

Then, there's a shuffling and she hears Gwen again, speaking away from the phone. _"Carl, could you give me a few minutes, sweetie?"_

Whatever Carl says remains muffled through the phoneline or maybe, it's just like the pounding in her own ears but, whatever, semantics, right?

_"Okay."_ She hears after a more minutes._ "I'm alone now. What happened? What do you mean you had sex with Danny?"_

"I mean, I, Mindy Lahiri, let Danny Castellano fuck her brains out in an elevater."

When Gwen gasps, she just rolls her eyes. _"Mindy-"_

"What? It's exactly what he did! Because I had sex with him again when we got back to the room and it was-"

_"Were you drunk?"_

"No."

_"Were you drugged?"_

"Gwen-" Seriously, Danny may have his jerky moments but, he's not a creep or anything. "No. I was... completely sober for this, I promise you."

_"Are you sure?"_

"Yes."

She hears her blonde friend sigh and take a deep breath before taking again. _"Well... are you okay? Was it any good?"_

"His penis is a lot more friendly than he is half the time if _that's_ what you mean." She tries scaddling from the question but, her best friend knows her too well and it doesn't work out so well._ "Mindy-"_

"Yes." She thinks of him pinning her to the elevater wall. Bearing down on her on the hotel bed. His mouth sliding over her skin while his hands explore her body as he proerly undresses her after the elevater romp. Branding her. Burning her. The fullness of having him inside her as he thrusts in and out while grunting dirty words in her ear-

_"Mindy?"_

Oh right. Gwen. She's on the phone for something. "Hmm?"

_"That good, eh?"_ Bitch has no right to sound to sound _that_ knowing.

"No... I mean, that's not what I... He's just... Oh, shut up!"

She hears laughing in her ear and almost participates because once you look at it, this is kinda funny and-

"What the fuck you doing?"

She shrieks as loud as she's ever had in her life all the while clutching her chest and spinning around, almost dropping her sheet cover-up and there's Danny, still naked, leaning against the doorframe, the same arms that were wrapped around her earlier, crossed over his toned chest like some weird, stern-looking model.

And yeah, definitely his naked body. Again. He's naked, again, with his nice arms and those broad shoulders that just scream_ 'come to me!'_ and he would beat on that sexy chest and sweep her off to- Ugh! What the hell is she thinking about? He really did bang the sense out of her, didn't he?

But, okay, he really does look like he either wants to yell at her or do_ other things_ to her.

Again.

Crap.

"Gwen, I gotta go." She quickly says into the phone. "Code red, Gwen. Code red."

"I don't know what code red mean-"

_Click._

Breathing deeply to calm her now racing heartbeat, she slowly turns around again to face Danny, aware, maybe for the first time what kind of a picture she may painting right now: Crazy, wild, post-coital bedhead. Probably _beyond_ smudged make-up. Clutching a thin, nearly inappropriately translucent sheet to her body like it's made of angora or flannel or some other ridiculous material. The phone pressed into her hand like she's heading for 911.

Either way, not good.

"Danny." She smiles nervously at him and when the expression fails to sway him, she becomes more anxious. "Listen, I just had to call Gwen because, you know, girl stuff-"

"What kinda girl stuff?" He's starting to smirk. She could see by the way his lips curl at the side a little bit.

"Just... you know, stuff."

"Like us stuff?"

She stares at him. "Us?"

"Yeah." He says like it's no big deal. Like one minute there's _'her and him'_ then hey, there's an_ 'us'_. Like that happens everyday. "You told her about us."

She continues to stare at him, probably looking like a scared deer.

He seems to sense her surprise because he puts his hands up in a surrender pose. "Look, it's okay. I get it. You freaked out-"

"I didn't freak-"

"Mindy." He gives her the stern eyes again and her pulse spikes. "You forget, I know you."

"You certainly do now." Her mouth spews without her permission. Again.

He chuckles low and sexy, smirk coming out to play and her stomach flutters. Dammit.

He looks at her again and his gaze lingers over her body under the sheet dressing.

And just like that, something shifts.

There's suddenly an untamed, dark male appreciation in his eyes and she look at him too, realizing how unapologetic and unabashedly he stands in his nude swagger and of course, why should he have any of the kind because _god_, is he hot.

Before her eyes can dip below the belt though, they snap away on instinct.

He laughs again. "You're choosing_ now_ to be shy?"

Impulsively, her head snaps to look at him. "I am not shy!"

He finishes his little cackle and once more, the mood dips from zero to sex in no time flat. "You coming back to bed?" He asks, his tone husky and bedroom eyes on display.

Her mouth goes dry while her body is anything but.

"I..." She clears her throat. "I'll be out in a minute. I have to-" She gestures around the bathroom.

He nods a bit then starts to close the door. "Don't take to long." He warns before shutting it completely.

She smiles at him until the door closes and takes a shuddering breath after.

_Oh, boy. Oh, boy, is she in trouble._

It takes her five to do her business and fix herself up and then she's back in the room amd is only all to thankful that he's not just laying all sprawled and shameless and at least has a sheet over himself.

She just stands there, looking at him, sexy and rumpled and just_ waiting_ for her.

A beat. Then, he tugs a part of his sheet down on her side and pats it. "Come here." He deamnds low and whispery.

"Danny, I think we should at least-"

"Come here."

"-at least, you know, talk and-"

"Come. Here."

His tone is louder but, still soft and seductive and yummy in her ears and nevermind, the _eye-sex_ he's giving her. Like he wants her so bad he could come over and make her get on that bed and the very thought of that seems apealing for some reason.

She walks slowly over to the bed, stopping at the edge and then in a bold move, ignores her side and climbs into his lap.

He smiles lustfully at her as she perches herself above him, grabbing her hips and squeezing at her through the sheet.

Feeling brave and a little more than powerful with the way he's looking at her, she leans in as if to kiss him and whispers coyly. "I get to be on top this time."

He groans into her ear and moves her away by the arms as she does the same, moving back to look at him and keep his eyes as she slowly drawls away the sheet from her breasts, recalling doing the same thing not to long ago during that sham of an exam when she dared him to be her gynocologist and him having almost the same look in his eye as he does at this very moment.

Only now, the look is open and animalistic and greedy as opposed to the restrained attraction and anxiety bouncing in his eyes in that examination room, making her wonder why they _ever_ wasted a minute and didn't do this sooner.

_Well, better late than never._

And then, without pause or hesitation, she lets herself go and sinks into him.

...

**A/N 2:** Hey! Hope you enjoyed! ;) I sure did! And yeah, I mentionec I would tell you guys about _28_ and I'll tell you it was a great film. It's directed by Matt Ross who's also an actor and whom you may know as Alby Grant on Big Love if you're familiar. I enjoyed it very much but, if you're hoping for normal beginning-middle-end linear story-telling and big plot points, I wouldn't see this one. It's quiet. It's intimate. And it's also about two nameless people (Messina and Marin Ireland) who carry on a rapidly destructive and meaningful affair despite changing relationships at home (though, you never meet their significant others). It basically treds that whole relationship through 28 citys and the hotel rooms they redezvous in. And like I said, it's just about these two people and only features those two actors (who do wonderfully!) and if you like either Messina or Ireland or even indies you'd like it. And oh, you get to see his, um,_ mandusky_ there, if you know what I'm saying. What I'm trying to say is the man is naked quite a bit and it doesn't just extend to his great backside (which he does have, by the way) so, even just to see our Hottie McTotty, I urge you to see it. It's a great watch. And you can catch it on OnDemand if you have it or wait to borrow a DVD or whatever yuou please. ;)

P.S. Also, on a less sexual note, but still adding to Messina's attractiveness: The man has got a great laugh. I mea, like, really. It's almost adorable and kind of adds a new dimension to his appeal. I hope they make him do that more at some point on _Mindy Project_. I mean, sure, he chuckles but, a full-on _laugh_? Come on, you can't resist _that_. ;)

Love you guys and thank you for reading. :)


	7. Definitely A Thing

**Title:** Definitely A Thing

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** M (language and sex)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Glad to be back with another chapter! And yeah, those last few chapters were a doozy, weren't they? I'm just a glorified smut pusher is what I am people. ;) I like my lemons and I know some others do, too and I will not be judged! Anyway, I wrote a new D/M story yesterday and so far, I've gotten a few very favorable reviews and feedback so, I've been happy with that and the story is called _Kiss It Better_ if you wanna comments on it. Yeah, I know, it seems like I'm only promoting my stuff but, I like getting new readers so, forgive *bows*.

**Music:** Save Me by My Darkest Days.

**Disclaimer:** Well, you know *frowns*.

...

Mindy wakes up somewhere in between morning and _whatever-the-hell o'clock_ feeling sore, satisfied, and well-rested. Her body along the road of well-used and sexually drained because, well, apparently having sex with Danny Castellano is as exhausting and endurance-testing as it is intense and, um... _lasting_.

Because tha man can _last_ and it's a huge testament to the number of discarded condoms in the trash bin of exactly _how_ lasting he is.

She peeks down at him beside her, hugging his pillow, dark hair peeking out from beneathe a well-muscled arm, his breathing even and slow as he sleeps, handsome face seeming unusually relaxed, smoothing out the normally tight, pinched lines of his strong features.

She has a rutting, seeding impulse to touch him. To trail her lips down his jaw. To comb her fingers hrough his messy hair. Because he just looks _soo_ inviting and good right then and well, it's not like she doesn't have permission from the night before anyway.

She chooses, instead, to get up and out of bed to head to the bathroom to take care of her lady business and maybe catch a shower.

Brushing her teeth while the room starts to steam with perspiration from the hot shower, she thinks about the sleeping man in that hotel room and the things they did the night before (and early in the morning).

_So, not only is he a good doctor but, he's a BEYOND amazing lover._

_And shit, could he touch her. Alll rough and sure and confident on her skin. Big and hard and stretching inside her..._

She's so caught up in her thoughts, the memory of his touch, the imprint of hands over her body that she fails to hear the bathroom door open over the shower spray. Her blood starting to pump faster in her veins, her breathing heavier as her own hands start to wander her own naked skin, opting to indulge in fantasy about the man who became intimately acquianted with her the night before and just a few hours ealier.

Though, before her hands could follow _that_ path down south, she felt a larger, broader, _achingly_ familiar pair over her own.

She sort of jumps out of her skin because hello, private bathing time and it's not like she expects him to join her even though, sure, her thoughts of him are even further down the gutter than ever but, okay, he's definitely naked behind her and there is_ that_.

She feels him at her back, warm and solid, his lips grazing her shoulder just before they touch her ear, his breath hot (which only makes her hotter). "You know, if I didn't worry about getting jealous and other people lookng, I'd demand you walk around naked so, I could see you like _this_ all the time." He says, tone husky and wanton, and it is _totally_ fucking bonkers what it does to her (despite, you know, _everything_) because her throat convulses over her swallowing and she can feel the instinctive moistening between her legs. Readying her. _Blooming_ for him.

And with the way he ghosts his fingers over her inner thigh, she wonders if he notices already.

But, then he's turning her head over to his, gripping her chin, to kiss her, open and wet, her lips immedaitely parting for him, his tongue feeling hot and tasting of spearmint, in her mouth.

The kiss lengthens when she makes a breathy sound that makes him groan and tighten his grip on her, deepening it into something passionately, _profoundly_ dirty and _ah_ _wow_, that does things to her. Things she would need to see a preacher about.

He ends it, though, swiftly, pulling her mouth from his, her head reeling and her breath stuttering before she opens her eyes to see him looking at her, eyes almost black and intense.

He leans again towards her mouth and says, all hushed and sexy. "Face the wall and put your hands up there."

Her body tightens and all she could utter is. "Okay." Whuch is so unlike her but, whatever, she's already putty in his hands so, where's the room for dignity, really?

And apparently, she's also taking to long because then he's spinning her around and she quickly grabs onto the shower tiles to catch equilibrium, even as her excitement spikes at the positioning.

Then he's touching her and rubbing her back and forth from behind, and saying her name in _that way_ and she shifts, wiggling, as he slides a finger inside her and then another and all she could hear is the thudding of her heart and her panting breaths.

And just as quickly as it begins, he stops and she's left empty and wanting more. But, then he's close on her, muscular chest pressing to her shoulder blades, hands grabbing her hips, fingers digging in, and yeah, her pulse is thrumming like a louder than loud drum in her ears.

If he says anything, she doesn't hear him through the pounding in her ears and then he adjusts her hips just right and then is pressing inside of her.

She moans as he curses and she can dimly hear him muttering under his breath and into her hair and she is reminded of how much of a talker he seems to be during sex and the different words he likes to use with her. Sweet words (like how _beautiful_ she is or how_ nice_ she smells). Dirty words (how he can't _get over_ how she wet and tight she is or he could just have her _fuck his cock_ all night if he could). Making loud, hard grunting noises as he moves in her.

And she's quickly losing her mind and becoming overwhelmed by the way he's talking to her (a mix of_ fuck_ and_ Mindy_, mostly) and also, _holy crap_, does he not hold back. Each thrust rough and hard and kind of knocking the wind outta her but, _god_, she's loves it. She loves how much she can make this man lose his shit like she's the only woman in the world that can bring about that reaction.

And he sounds incredibly earnest as he speaks filth to her, sounding basically like he's just as out of his mind as she is, making her short-circuit a tad and it's never like this with_ anyone_ but, him. Like he's as desperate for her as she is for him.

He even tells her so (_"Come for him, baby. Just come for me"_).

Which is maybe why she can't take it anymore and sobs his name. And his rhythm falters a little and when he slams into her next, she can feel everything, his body at her back, his teeth at the nape of her neck, and she whimpers so much that he passes his fingers near her parted lips and as she climaxes, she bites them into her mouth, causing him to groan near her ear.

A few short, hard thrusts later, he follows, face buried in her hair, spilling it all inside her, and _wow_.

_Jesus_, this is gonna become a thing, isn't it?

...

Danny walks out of the elevater, smirking, a spring in his step, as he starts heading to the Plaza dining room for some morning eats because it's 9 a.m. and he's had a ton of sex and like most men, he's ready to grab a good Continental Breakfast to fuel up, you know.

Not that he's complaining, mind you, because he's been doing extremely active and pleasurably dirty things to and with Mindy Lahiri all night and into the morning and he's gotten to re-enact nearly every single fantasy having to do with the woman (which is _a lot_).

His smirk widens as he remembers finding her in the bathroom, phone to her ear, clutching white thin sheets to the naked body that he'd recently found out looks just as good without a stitch of clothing on as it does with, that deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression on her beautiful face.

And she is so beautiful. And sexy. And _made_ for him.

And god, he just wants her so much.

He's always thought that finally getting Mindy in bed would satisfy his desires and yearning for her.

Okay, maybe he maybe might anticipate that it wouldn't work that way and he would only want her more but, he never would have foreseen the emotional impact it has on him. The tightness in his chest when she would hold his gaze during lovemaking or when he would watch her sleep after waking up in the middle of the night, heart in his throat as he softly grazes his knuckles over her cheek, palming it as she nuzzles into closer into his touch with a wistful, sleepy sigh.

He's screwed. He's screwed and he knows it. He always has been when it comes to Mindy, before he would allow himself to acknowledge what he feels for her, even though it's thus far been hidden under irritation and abhorance of her personal choices and dating life.

Now, it's out and all for her to see, though he hopes she doesn't ask anything because he's really not ready to tell her yet and he wants to hang onto his pride that much longer, thank you.

He quickly yanks those thoughts to the back of his mind as he heads to the buffet table next to Jeremy, who's dumping fresh fruit with toast and buttery muffins on his plate while pouring orange juice from a glass pitcher.

_So damn British_. He thinks to himself as he bumps next to his colleague, grabbing the other man's attention while he just ignores him to take in the spread of an assortment of food items.

"Good morning." He says with his usual happy-go-luckiness, which normally might have annoyed Danny but, whatever, he's kinda flying high at the moment and doesn't really care. "You seem in good spirits." The Englishman comments after the silence that would usually an insult or grunt of displeasure at Reed's expense.

But, not right now.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He manages to cover his lack of surliness because hey, he's still got a reputation to maintain.

"Does your good mood have anything to do with your hot date last night?"

He whips his head to see the Brit tart giving him the raised eyebrow like he knows _exactly _what he was doing to Mindy last night in that elevater and in that now properly chrisined hotel room.

"I really wish I wouldn't have gone to your hotel room right now." He says, warning in his tone of voice.

Reed backs off then, hands raised in surrender all like, _alright, okay fine,_ before grabbing his food and orange juice and walking away.

He's soon in the midst of gleefully nabbing some good-looking Waffles Benedict and a few strips of bacon when instinct tells to turn around for some reason, the hairs at the back of his hair rising, his spine tingling.

He chooses to follow that instinct and there she is.

And she's dressed. Dressed in a muted green button-up top with baggy sleeves that extend to her elbows and a purple skirt that, while a more appropriate length for a work-related event than the one from yesterday and the sparkly number she wore on their date, still manages to be both semi-decent _and_ eat at his control as it cinches her small waist with a brighter green belt, helping accentuate bountiful hips that he hung onto as he pounded into her in the throes of rough, sweaty passion, her high cries egging him on-

How could she?

How could she look that and not know what she does to him _after_ last night?

"Hi." She greets brightly, smiling at him, after he's in front of her in a few speedy steps and up close, she's even more lovely. Her skin radiant, her lips glossy and inviting, expressive, sparkling eyes looking at him. Her posture confident and jutting in his direction.

Did she do herself up for him?

He shoves that innanely arrogant thought away and instead notes the obvious. "You look nice." He looks her up and down (making the word _nice_ sound more like _fuckable,_ _edible, gorgeous, delectable_) and yeah, he think she notices because her cheeks flush and _uh-huh_, his whole body goes hard with it.

"Thank you." She looks down a moment and back up again, catching his gaze with a small grin and after a minute of silence, she says. "Stop looking at me like that." And the mood becomes more serious even through the still evident lightness in the air around them

"Like how?" He feels his facial muscles contract under his skin. A smirk going on a wide smile.

"Like that."

"I'm not doing anything." He probably is but, it is fun seeing someone as self-possessed and sure as Mindy is around him, looking flustered, eyes frantically searching the room as if to escape his attentions.

Because, sure, like _that's_ gonna happen.

Yet he feels a small twinge of sympathy so, he gives a little. At least, for _now_. "Why don't you want me looking at you?" He asks, low and soft, stepping closer to her, nostrils flaring slightly as he picks up on her perfume that he knows only gets more seductive and better when her skin is flushing from exertion and she's panting and moaing for him, the scent mingling with the musk of sex-

"Because I can't breathe when you do." She responses quietly as he fingers a strand of hair curling at her blouse collar, rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger, remembering the soft thickness as he pulls at it while he takes her from behind not an hour before, her body bent over the end of the bed when he decides to get a quickie in before breakfast, his palm itching with the imprint of her flesh as he smacks her ass while she pushes back against him.

He steps even closer to her, his eyes on her mouth. "Good."

"Good?"

"Good. Because I like looking at you." An inch closer, then another, still only fondling that one lock. "I've _always_ looked at you." He watches as her throat muscles move, the swallow there as she still holds his eye contact. "And I think it's time you make peace with that, don't you?" He rhetorically inquires, sharing her breathing room now.

She opens her mouth to say something then before Jeremy's voice calls out to them.

He smirks at her again as she narrows her stare at him before strutting away, giving him a great view of her behind.

This is_ definitely_ gonna become a thing.

...

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Wasn't sure how to execute this one but, hoping I did well for myself and _you_ guys. Also, the outfit Mindy's wearing in this chapter is actually a real one I saw Mindy Kaling wear on DailyCandy videos on youtube (there's two; one where she gives a tour of her closet and another where she's in an interview). I know I described the damn thing poorly but, it's not my strong suit really. *shakes head***

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	8. Finish With Me

**Title:** Finish With Me

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (for suggestive sexual content & language)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Boy, have I got ideas for this story! My mind is ALL over the place and I can't even get most of it in order as to _where_ each scene in my head is gonna go. Also, appreciating my new readers that are giving me the GREATEST reviews and feedback. I really do love every reader that has reviewed and put my fic (and me) on alerts and favorites lists and what not but, I do love receiving comments (both _big_ and _small_) from people; it's just fun and helps me know if you guys are liking my writing. Haven't really gotten much complaints yet so, I guess I'm doing okay. Thank you!

**Music:** I Want You by Lotte Kestner. Haunting little cover of a gorgeous Elvis Costello tune. ;)

**Disclaimer:** *throws up hands* No. No, not really.

…

Mindy's staring at him. He could feel those beautiful, expressive eyes looking him down from across the table whilst she munches on a cinnamon bun, nibbling on the sides of it as he butters his toast and tosses sugar into his coffee.

Honestly, he has no clue what it is she's trying to prove but, if it's that she's a great spy, then she's _failing_.

Jeremy's already halfway on the other side of the dining room shellacking on the cheeseball, English charm on a group of fellow doctors seated in one table.

And they're all female.

_Surprise, surprise, surprise…_

"What?" His eyes finally snap to hers, almost wanting to look at the picture she paints, snagging at the edges of her roll like she's angry with it, the same lips that he really wants on his again buried around the bun timidly.

"What?"

"You've been staring at me for the past 20 minutes. What's up?"

With her mouth full, she flat-out denies what he's saying. "I have no idea what you're talking about." And shakes her head, dark hair moving along her neck flailingly (the movement bringing back _memories_), an _oh please bitch_ expression plastered on her face.

"Mindy." He says in warning, staring her down this time because she's a horrible liar and he wants to know what's on that crazy mind of hers.

She just looks away from him, stuffing her mouth more and starting to ignore him like she has every right to, even after _last night_ and like hell, is he gonna let her because he finally (_fucking_ finally) has her right where he wants her: A real-life _sexual beauty_ where he doesn't have to just fantasize in the coldness of his lonely bed, palming his granite-hard erection as he pictures her writhing and moaning beneathe him. Only to come down such a haze to find himself alone and without her (even though he's never really _had_ her).

He remembers it all. The emptiness. The freezing former reality that he could never have her because he's too much of a jerk and she's far too often times annoying despite his growing affection for her. The _warm goddamn fuzzies_ that, without his permission, begins the day he meets her. The minute he first opens his mouth to make a wise-ass comment on her louder than loud yellow skirt and orange, flowy blouse, her responding remark of how he's just an angry man with no fashion sense causing an answering flash of (_blink-and-you'll-miss-it_) arousal down South. Something that if he doesn't think a _whole lot_ of that day, he maybe would of missed.

But, it's there. It's there and has grown every day since.

In short, it sucks. It sucks when he's by himself in his own bed and it would still suck if whatever is clouding her brain right now keeps him from having that far beyond this long weekend.

"Mindy?" His voice softens a titch as he leans forward, closer to her and he sees her eyes shift over to him automatically, her throat moving over a swallow (again), that deer-like look on her face.

He feels an out-of-nowhere need to to touch and does so to the closest thing, which happens to be her hand.

(Soft. Warm. Small. _Her_).

He looks her in the eye with purpose. "I know what you're thinking about." He says smoothly, with a slight bit of tease in his tone, his lips curling into the smirk he _knows_ she both hates_ and_ loves.

"What? What am I thinking about?" Her eyes narrow a tad but, her hand doesn't leave his, her small fingers tangled through his, his thumb stroking the back of her knuckles, her breath sucking in with the movement, eyes looking down at their hand-holding.

He allows her gazing down. "You're thinking about what's gonna happen when we get home." He responses, cocking an eyebrow at her as she looks back up, eyes wide.

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I didn't." He leans back up again as he sees Reed coming back to them, looking back at her with a mischievious spark in his voice. "Until you just told me." He finishes before bringing his coffee to his lips.

The look in her eye promises trouble but, before her mouth could open to say something, Jeremy's plopping himself into his chair. "Good day, all!"

A beat. Then the clueless Brit looks back and forth between them. "Did I miss something?"

He holds her gaze even as he answers. "Great. Everything's fine."

Her stare doesn't waver either. "Perfect."

...

It's late, almost dark, when they arrive back at their hotel room and Mindy sighs as she flops face first onto the bed (_hers? his? theirs? Mmm...?_), carelessly kicking off her heels in such a way that one would know how tired she is, considering that she would never, in the right frame of mind, do that (poor Louboutins deserve better).

It's not easy, is all she could say. It's not easy to sit next to a man who's given you the best sex and most passionate night of your adult life.

It's not easy to try to ignore his closeness. His smell. His whole presence.

It's also not easy to try ignore the very much on-purpose (you know things, you know) passing of his hand against yours, the strong calloused fingetips bring about memories of rough, discombulating, sweaty, passionate carnal actvities that still _boggles_ your mind to think of.

She doesn't get it, really. It's not like it's like her first time (it's not even her fifth time, for God's sakes!). She's not some wilting, shy wallflower. Her tastes are a little more experienced _and_ adventurious for someone who spent high school and half of college as a mostly unnoticed, virginal bookworm who enjoys watching romantic comedies on Friday nights whilst her blonde, leggy roommate screws one of her many boyfriends next door.

She gets her own, though, a few months after her twenty-third birthday with Tim, a cute tech major who wears coke-bottle glasses and has a nice smile and is also the first guy she has sex with. A sweet, restrained, fumbling first time that she rarely thinks about anymore.

She knows now that he couldn't possibly have prepared her for Danny_ freaking_ Castellano (who's like, a scary_ real _man, with a manly face and like, _shoulders_ and stuff).

Another sigh escapes her before she turns onto her back, looking over at the man in question as he starts unbuttoning the top of his gray button-down, broad fingers expertly undoing the shirt little by little, revealing the tight black t-shirt underneathe.

She's not sure what's going on but, what she does know is what happened (_happening_) between them doesn't feel like a mistake. Those kind of one-time, _let's-never-do-this-again-I-feel-disgusting_, brand of mistakes. She knows he _maybe_ feels the same way because she's starting to realize he may even care for her (okay, maybe a little _more_ than care but, she's not ready think about _that_ yet).

She also knows she wants him again. In her. On her. _All over her_.

She wants him again and she doesn't want to overthink it or doubt what she knows she's beginning to feel. That the night before, the second she put her lips on his, opened the floodgates of potential for... _something_. Something more for them.

Something that she maybe, _might_, want to explore more once this conference weekend is over.

But, she won't think about that now.

Setting her plan in motion, she begins stretching, raising her hands above her head until a distinct crack is heard from straightening her spine, letting out a showy but, hopefully realistic moaning sound that reverberates throughout the room and when she looks over at Danny, she knows she has his attention, his eyes dark and burning through her. "Mindy?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?" He steps closer and her pulse sky-rockets in response.

She gives him a _who me?_ look. "What am I doing?" And stretches out some more, further elongating her frame, breasts jutting out in his direction, toes curling and touching his jeans as he walks foward, dilberately scratching over the material teasingly.

"You know exactly what you're doing." He answers in a slow drawl, grabbing the travelling foot from moving anymore.

She feels that ever-present heat settle low in her belly as he crawls on top of her, spreading her legs to lay between the apex of her plevis, laying on his forearms and peering into her face with an accute intensity. "You know." Then, he rocks his hips into hers in a long, drawn-out move that causes her breath to catch. "You know what you do to me."

"Do I?" She breathes near his mouth, sliding a hand up his back under his shirt, lightly scraping her nails in tantalizing circles.

She watches, feeling immensely pround of herself, when his eyes close and he takes a deep, shuddering breath before they open again and look down at her in startling desire. "Don't start something you're not gonna finish." He warns.

She laughs in response, rolling her hips up into his own this time. "So finish it with me." She leans up closer to his lips, brushing against them with just a touch. "Please, Danny." She mock-pleads, her other hand going to his cheek to pull him down to her farther. "Just do it. I want you to-"

Then his mouth is on hers and she stops thinking, her world revolving around the look and feel of him.

_In her. On her. All around her._

...

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! :) Mindy's starting to be insatiable, no? ;)**


	9. Maybe A Little Bit

**Title:** Maybe. A Little Bit.

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (for language & implied sexytime)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Hope you guys enjoy my new update. I've been wracking my brain over how to dish out this chapter and have had some interesting ideas for it (whether it's good or not, is entirely up to you!). All of you have been amazing and I've enjoyed doing this story and letting you read through my first Mindy Project multi-chapter story.

**Disclaimer:** Well, it's not like you don't already know…

…

"Mmm…"

Mindy hums in a mixture of relief and contentment, eyes fluttering closed, as Danny sprays hot water down her back before his hands follow suit, massaging over her shoulders and lower, the slightly calloused pads of his fingertips trailing over the curve of her spine and then both of his hands grasping her hips and tugging her backward more into his lap, his hard chest pressing onto her.

She follows without resistance, head unconsciously dropping close to his, her cheek brushing against his own, a sigh escaping her without permission.

_God, this feels nice._ She thinks through the fuzz in her brain that's probably due to the utter relaxation she's feeling or endorphins or _whatever-the-hell_.

Relaxation due to the _ahh_-mazing, warm, calming, _lavender_-smelling bath she's taking right now in a luxurious hotel, Jacuzzi-style , _large-as-shit_ tub.

Relaxation due to the copious amounts of sex she's _already_ getting plenty of just _two_ nights in on what's supposed to be a work-related weekend.

Relaxation due to the man holding her in his arms and dropping a kiss to her cheek (her heart skipping a beat as he does because it's _Danny_ and he's not just giving her mind-blowing sex but being... _almost_ sweet and affectionate... which causes a _pinch_ in her chest that she's rather_ not_ name).

"You good?" He whispers in her ear, muzzling the spot below that, despite the bath water, makes her shiver, his fingers moving up her stomach and _just_ below her breasts and _what do you know?_ her nipples harden almost painfully at the awareness there, wanting to push his hands up right where she wants them.

(And the _oh-so_ obvious... yummy-_substantial_ erection presssing near her behind gives a sinful temptation to impale herself and ride him hard and fast while he pinches at her breasts, yanking at them enough for pleasurable pain as she fucks herself on him-)

But, she does nothing of the kind (mind racing with possibilities and _when_ did she become such a perv? _Last night_, was it?) and he keeps his hands where they are, thumbs beneathe the fullest part of her chest, adding the _tiniest_ bit of pressure to her ribcage.

Which only serves to remind her of his question. Which she still hasn't answered.

"Well?"

_What? God, what did he ask me? Oh, right_. "Mmm-hmm." She nods in comfirmation because her damn vocal cords don't work anymore but, she clears her throat and tries anyway. "I'm good." Her voice sounds higher and she clears her throat again before speaking. "Yes, I'm good. Relaxed, even." She adjusts her weight a bit and meshes herself against him more with an unapologetic wiggle, feeling the very naked man behind her. All warm, slick skin and hard, honed muscle. "I could think of some other things that could be even more relaxing, though." She says, trailing off on purpose with purr, allowing him to know exactly what she wants.

"Really?" His hands move higher just a little. Though, it's not enough and she wants to scream at him. "You want me to fuck you again? Face you away from me and plow you in your luscious, beautiful ass?" He gives her an empty, fake-out thrust near said ass and she gasps in startled want as the blunt head of him brushes against her wet heat.

"Yes." She hisses, unashamed, moving in tight circles to get what she wants. What she needs right now.

Then, his hand grips her chin, turning her face towards him and the eyes that she forgot she had closed open to meet intense, dark eyes and the expression there causes her breath to catch.

(It's not like she's never noticed how expressive his eyes can be - she has. She's not dumb or whatever. She just never realized how much he shows in those eyes. A lot that a man like him couldn't or is somehow incapable of saying).

And now, it's all there and all for her for whatever reason.

And it's making her stomach go miles like a stamped of cheetahs.

"Or..." He starts speaking again, thumb stroking at her jaw, the bone under her eye. "I could just turn you around to look me in the eye as I take you." He whispers in that husky baritone she kinda, sorta loves and hates all at once because it does things to her insides and all sorts of ingrained feminism disappears to be replaced by the quivoring need to do what he wants. Christ, this man could make her forget her _own name_ with the way he operates. "As I make love to you all night." She feels her eyes widen as the words _make love_ hit her straight in the gut. "As I make you _see_ how I feel about you." The inflection in his voice is lighter, the affection there causing her heart pound faster. "As I make you realize how much you mean to me."

She stares at him, breathing heavily, mind whirling at the implication in his words because she knows he _likes_ her a little. _Maybe_ cares a little more about her. But, this is just-

Then his mouth is on hers, tongue slipping inside and her mind goes blissfully blank, her fingers unconsciously tunneling into his hair to pull him closer, the last thought in her brain being that Danny freakin' Castellano might, _may_, have feelings for her.

And that revelation _may_, _might_ not be so bad.

Because she's pretty sure that _she_, too, has feelings for him.

(Maybe. A little bit).

...

A few hours later and a long sensual love-making session in the bath later, Danny finds himself wide-awake and staring at a fast asleep Mindy, their bodies facing each other, arms around the other's waist, the thin sheet covering his lower half and trying (and failing to hide her ample, round breasts, her even sleeping breaths calling his attention _there_ at every turn.

At least, it would. If he's actually paying attention to _anything_ below her neck.

Which he isn't. Not really.

(Maybe. A little bit).

He's just too busy gazing into her slumbering face. Her peaceful, blank expression as her mouth opens slightly as she snores quietly, one hand resting beneathe her cheek while the other lays on his hipbone, dark hair fallen over her other cheek.

He feels foolish. Well, a _part_ of him does. The part of him that urges him to say yes to to multiple casual hook-ups and one-night-stands and that just because his ex Christina is hot and (was initially) out of his league, he should just let it be and forgive her for fucking around behind his back and that it's actually basically his fault and that he should shut it about feelings and making love to Mindy and just _enjoy_ her while this weekend lasts-

Anyway, that's his worst half talking. His other, better (bigger) half is shouting at him that this thing - this_ development -_ going on between he and Mindy is quite possibly the best thing to happen to him in a very long time and she's amazing and beautiful and god, he wants her soo much it hurts, his chest burning with his need and all that he's starting to feel-

The point is, this is all unexpected. Not just the sex (though, that is a_ fantastic_ unexpected) but, everything that comes with it. He doesn't expect all of it. He doesn't expect to feel so much. He expects something because it is Mindy and he's not that clueless when it comes to his own heart but, really? This. All. Just. Too. Much.

Because he's falling. And falling deeply.

And it is _terrifying_.

Yet, he's not willing to stop any of it.

He can't. He doesn't _want_ to.

And that damn part of him is telling him he's a fool because he's not taking into account that he might just be heading towards disappointment and that he should think about the possibility that she _won't_ want the same thing as him and that he _shouldn't_ be so stupid and sappy.

But, he's not thinking on that.

Because he just _knows_ she might feel the same.

He's not that emotionally stunted and knows he rcognizes that look on her face during their bath together. That restrained, twinkling affection in her eyes, the content look on her face as she leans into him in bliss. The feel of her against his chest. All soft, wet skin and supple curves.

And because of that, he's starting to have something that he hasn't had in years.

Danny Castellano has hope.

Hope for more after this weekend.

Maybe. A little bit.

...

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! :) Was a _little_ scared because I thought it was maybe a _little_ too soon for all these feelings but, well, this story has not gone the slow pace that you woulda maybe expected, really. But, I haven't gotten a _lot_ of complaints so, I guess I'm doing okay. ;)**

**Thank you for reading! :)**


	10. Okay With It

**Title:** Okay With It

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Rating:** T (implied, mild sexual content and language)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Hi! Been thinking about how to do this very chapter because it is one of the more important chapters of the story as it is also a turning point in Danny and Mindy's relationship because they are indeed about to leave Santa Fe and are contemplating their feelings and actions during the weekend while they are still there. Thus, expect a bit of a more dramatic tone. But, a just a _little_!

**Disclaimer:** Own not a thing.

…

They're leaving Santa Fe.

They're leaving Santa Fe and Danny Castellano is _freaking the fuck out_!

All because of Mindy and their newfound… relationship.

(Which is bullshit because it's not he's going off to war or she's moving to Europe or what-the-fuck and they live in the_ same_ damn city and work at the_ same_ practice and ride the _same_ subway route and share the _same_ freaking hospital where they make babies come into the world-)

His point being that he_ shouldn't_ be freaking out because he could easily remedy everything by just _asking_ her.

Asking her if she wants more than just this weekend.

Asking her if she would like to date him because that's what _he_ wants.

He _wants_ to date her.

He_ wants_ to take her to dinner. _Cook_ dinner for her. Spend the night at her apartment. Have _her_ spend the night at _his_. Wake up to her face and have breakfast and lunch with her.

But, he's getting ahead of himself, isn't he? He does that sometimes.

He just wants her to be sure about them. Because, despite his nerves and fear, he's already certain about how he feels and what he wants.

It's no use pretending anymore.

Because the moment he touched her – and he shoulda known this _beforehand_ – he was hers.

He's been hers since the moment she let him touch her and do every single thing he's been fantasizing about for the past five years since they met.

And it's fucking _terrifying_. And not just terrifying. Exciting. Kinda new. Full of _possibilities_.

And his heart (the heart that he rememers being fucked over by his _bitch_ ex) is filled with both apprehension and a strange sort of happiness that what they have now could be more. More than a sexy, sweaty, physically weekend. More than three mind-blowing days and not much else.

"Danny?"

Speak of the devil.

He looks over at the woman in question and can't help but, eyeing the black, sequined cocktail dress she's wearing. The kind of dress that skims her every curve and causes him to flash to her not fourty minutes earlier - naked and writhing and plastered to him - which inevitably makes his body tighten and his blood run hot in his veins.

And that's what she does to him. Make him crazy. Overcome. Exhilirated.

That being just one half of his emotions concerning her.

"Hello? Hello? Did you not hear me? Which earring?"

He snaps out of it and sees that she's indeed holding up two types of said earrings. One, a swinging pendulem with dangling teardrop diamonds and the other, a round almost disco-y ball but, is almost small enough to be subtle.

He looks back and forth between the two different pairs and her expectant expression, thinking that she could pull off either and that he's _not_ very good at this but, takes a deep breath anyway and points to the mini-disco ball. "That one."

She loos at his choice and her face scrunches up as she looks at the two, almost as if weighing them in her mind as well as his own opinion. "Really?" She looks back at him with a bit of surprise etched on her pretty face. "You sure?"

_Not really_. "Sure, I am."

He waits, nearly positive that she's getting ready to go against his choice and would pick the opposite for some reason.

But, she drops the teardrops onto the vanity desk instead and grabs the twin of the tiny disco ball. "Okay!" She says cheerily and he, chest constricted, watches as she puts them on.

They are heading to a dinner event downstairs in a few and he rubs at the area where his heart is suffocating and_ desperately_ needing air before getting up and standing next to her to check his reflection, checking his deep blue button-up (even though he's not really doing anything but, stalling... a little bit).

"So..." He starts in with, what he hopes is, a breezy, nonchalant tone of voice. "...I was thinking about when we get home that, ah... I don't know... we could continue, you know, go on a date or something..." He trails off at the end there because really, what else could his dumb, bumbling mouth manage?

_Please say yes. Please say yes._

"I'll think about it."

He freezes in mid-buttoning of his shirt cuffs. _Say what now?_

"Excuse me?"

"It sounds like fun! You know, it certainly sounds a good idea but, you know, with work and all that-" He just stands there, still and not breathing, as she moves away during her rambling and looking for nothing in particular, her pattern of speech bringing back images of her nervously shuffling and stuttering slightly when he goes to weigh her in that examination room, eyes doddling here and there, looking anywhere but, him.

"You don't wanna go out with me?"

"I didn't say that!" She responses, still not looking at him. "I just- I didn't-"

She's anxious. He could feel it rolling off in waves right from where he's standing.

And he thinks, really, that this is the first time since he'd known her, that this doesn't bring him a sort of pleasure.

If anything, it's kind of making him sick. And a little_ more_ than irked.

"Alright, forget it." He says dismissively, grabbing his coat and heading towards the door without so much as a glance at her. "Just forget I said anything. We gotta go."

And behind him, she ends her long-since incoherent rambles and seems to realize her enormous error and he hears at his back. Quiet. Seeking. "Danny?"

"Come on."

"Danny-"

He opens the door but, still doesn't spare her a glance. "Mindy, please. Let's just go."

He looks at the ceiling when she finally passes him out the door and has to literally _shut_ his eyes as the smell of her hair seeps through his nostrils.

The walk to the elevater is silent - and for the first time in a long, uncomfortably so - and his palm _burns_ with the need to lay it on the small of her back and step _ever-so_-_closer_ to her like he always wants.

Instead, he keeps his distance and thinks about anything but, _that_.

He's being an ass. He knows that. But, he would much rather be a_ jerk_ right now than the hurt, wounded pussy he feels like deep inside.

After they get into the elevater and are on their way down, he keeps his eyes forward but, through his side vision, can't help but, notice her smoothing down her sides and through her hair.

Over and over again.

"Stop that." He snaps.

She jumps a little at his side and looks at him with thise fine dark eyes of hers. He could feel them burning a hole into the side of his face.

The words come out without him wanting them to. Softer. More tender. Yet still pissed. "You're beautiful. You don't need to fix anything."

Whatever she has to say doesn't get to come out because right then the elevater doors open.

...

Mindy sighs to herself for, what seems like, the hundredth time in a row since sitting down at the bar after the snooze fest that was the dinner for everyone who is attending the medical conference.

Well, the food is good. She has a shrimp cocktail and an herbed chicken because you can't go wrong with chicken and it's all she can do to try to ignore Danny sitting next to her, grumpy and surly throughout the whole thing because of their talk-that-wasn't-really up in their room earlier and god, why does he have to look _soo_ good on the night they have this little tiff.

One part of her wants to say he isn't being fair and the other is screaming that she's the one being a collosial bitch and that she should really just be honest with herself and him but, you know, yeah.

Her's not around anyway to talk to after he immediately disappears after dinner and again two halves of her argue over whether to go after him or stay behind at the bar.

And guess which one she picks?

(Seriously, though - she gets it. He's mad at her. Mad and disappointed and really not getting her confusion in this whole thing because he's not a woman and doesn't get womanly emotions and what not. He doesn't get how nervous she is at the prospect of _them_. A concrete, real_ them_. A _them_ that includes dates out_ and_ in, spending nights together, trips to the Empire State Building - cause that's just a given when someone's seeing her, let's face it - and that yeah, maybe, just maybe, she's a little skittish of going _there_ with him.)

"Company?"

She jumps a bit at the voice near her and the expectant smile that almost crosses her lips disappears the mintue she sees it's Jeremy sitting next to her and not the man who's been on her mind for over an hour.

"Oh, it's only you."

"Why, thank you." Whether he's being his normally clueless self or just not caring about her sarcasm, she still doesn't know because he sits next to her anyway, calling for the barman to get him a scotch.

She just sits there quietly for a while, thnking. Thinking about Danny. About going home the next day. About what he wants from her once they get there.

About if she could possibly want the same thing.

But, does she, really?

Oh, who is she kidding? She kinda does. She can see it. The potential between them. She can tell herself all she wants that it's just sprung up out of nowhere but, it hasn't. It's _always_ been there.

"I think I have feelings for Danny."

She can almost feel Jeremy's head swivel towards her. "And?" He answers after a moment, like he... expects this, somehow.

"'And'?" She mocks without thinking. "And... we're getting married in the Spring. What do you mean 'and'?" I just wanted to say it out loud and you happened to be here so..." She twiddles her glass, still half-full (how ironic) with sangria. "You know, cheers!" She says with faux cheerfulness.

A beat. Then he talks this time. "I think... that I have a similiar situation with Betsey."

She turns to him to him, takes in the surprisingly serious expression on his face. "Are you gonna do anything about it?"

He sighs. "I don't know."

She turns back to face the bar. Then, after a long pause, says. "She's too good for you."

An exhale sounds next to her. Sharp. Cleansing. "I know."

She says nothing after that but, lays a comforting hand on his shoulder. She feels bad for him but, what the hell? Everybody deserves to be happy. "But, I approve." She says softly.

He turns. Gives her a small, half-smile. "Thank you, Mindy."

...

It's another twenty minutes and change for Mindy to gather up enough courage to head up to she and Danny's room, walking towards the door with bare feet because she just wanted to take off her shoes, okay?! The carpeting in this hotel is banging and heated or something, toasting her slightly cold feet as she moves in a stilted line, nerves growing stronger as she does.

And thinking exactly one thing: She needs to talk to Danny.

After struggling with her keycard for a bit, she finally manages to get into the room, feet stumbling into the room causing her to hold onto the door to keep from falling on her clumsy ass.

"Have fun downstairs?"

She pauses. Turns. And there he is, head and eyes down, big hands tucked between his knees and quite honestly, (thanks the lighting made by the lamps and the still, calm tone of voice in which he's speaking) she gets nervous. Like, a little more than she should.

Before she can say anything though, he does it for her. "Saw you haveing a talk with Reed."

Her heart stops for moment. She thinks. Whatever, all she can hear is her pulse punding in her ear.

"I..." She begins, voice a little more higher than normal, then clears her throat to try again. "I... was telling him about how I felt..." _Well, here goes nothing_. "...about you."

She stands for a second to long, the pinching in her feet from the shoes hanging from her hands before she decides to go sit down. On the bed. Next to him.

He turns to her, eyes dark and liquid, and gives her a contemplative look. "And how do you feel about me?"

She wants to be honest. She_ needs_ to be honest. "I'm not sure, exactly, to be honest." Pause. Deep breath. "I do know I care about you. A lot. And I got nervous when you tried, you know, asking earlier."

He just looks at her. Stares at her with a stillness she's starting to find unnerving. "You mean that."

"Yes."

He looks away then back at her, purpose in his gaze. Her breath goes heavy. "I don't know how to do this." And then looks away from her again and presses his face to his hands in front of him.

There's a long, steep silence that sticks heavy in the air and she stops breathing. _Literally_ stops taking in air through her lungs.

Then, he breaks it. Voice heavy and sincere with emotion. "I don't want this to end when we get home. All I want is you. And I'm crazy about you so..." He shrugs as if it explains it all, the set of his broad shoulders admitting relief. As if the words he just uttered is bringing him more room to breathe.

She takes it all in. His expression. His body language. Fully admitting that something just _shifted_, changed, between them.

And that she's okay with it.

...

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! :) I was thinking about how this whole thing would go down and how Danny would tell Mindy how he feels about her and then I thought that the term _crazy about you_ would sum it up at this point. Agree?**


	11. Home Sweet Home

**Title:** Home Sweet Home

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (suggestive thoughts)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Very, very happy with the reactions I've received from my last few chapters! Hope you all enjoy this one, too because even before I had written what was to happen about their last day in Santa Fe, I had already had a few details and scenes in my head about their relationship back in New York and well, hope you like the results. ;)

**Disclaimer:** Oh, um, *clears throat*. Wll, duh-doy!

…..

"Home sweet home." Mindy greets the air in her empty apartment as she walks into for the first time in almost four days (the feeling inside her making it feel more like _weeks_ instead of _days_) and promptly drops her bags next to her door and locking her door behind her without looking.

Tiredly, she leans her head against the wall, surveying the suddenly too empty space in front of her.

(Funny. It's not exactly something she notices often. The fact that she lives alone is always something she's pround of. A reminder of her independence. Her_ 'I-don't-need-no-man'_ attitude. Her absolute _right_ to keep her things as cluttered and messy as she pleases. To drink as much of her own booze as she wants. To bawl to as many Colin Firth period drama as frequently she _freaking_ wants to watch.)

Alone doesn't so much as translate to empty as it does having her own space.

Her mind automatically goes to Danny, probably arriving to his own empty digs.

She also quietly wonders if he's thinking like she is (or maybe thinking_ of_ her).

She shakes her head, forgoing the pathetic thought because even if she is thinking about him doesn't mean she wants him here with her, wrapping her in his arms, hugging her to his chest as she curls up against him and sniffs along his pulse point where the intermingling of his skin and cologne smell the strongest-

Whatever. She just needs a shower. A nap.

To shake off this weird, Danny _withdrawal_ feeling going on.

Along with this weird, hollowed out, tightness in her chest cavity.

_I mean, for crap's sake, he's a man, not a narcotic! A muscular, sexy, carnally-skilled, manly man but, a man, nonetheless! You may miss him a bit after three days of having him with you. You know, naked. Because the man DOES look good naked-_

Right. Well, her brain isn't making things any better.

And it's a little bit alarming that it's not just that. It's the feeling _afterwards_. The whole, peaceful feeling she doesn't feel often with most men that starts at her gut and ends and stays put in her chest as their skin touch, his hot breath blowing lightly against the errand hairs on her forehead before he lays a tender kiss there, making her hum drowsily, mumbling his name when she squeezes the arms around his torso, his own sound escaping him as she does.

She contemplates this as she heads to her kitchen. As she takes down her tin of her favorite chamomile blended tea bags before as the water in her tea kettle starts to gently boil. As she pours the hot water into her cup and over the teabag.

And she waits for it to steep, she contemplates as she pulls out her phone and looks for his number in her contacts.

But, she stops right before her finger can press 'call', her conclusion making her freeze in place.

What does she say? What could she possibly say without making a fool out of herself? _"Sorry, to bother you. I know, despite what we talked about, I told you that I needed a_ _few days to myself but, I still wanna see you because the sight of you will maybe make this tight, sad feeling in my chest go away and I like how warm and strong you are when you hold me."_

And what the hell would she end with?_ "But, you know, if you're caught up on something. Hope you have a good one. See you tomorrow."_

She puts her phone down. Turns to her tea.

Then, jumps a whole foot in the air as it rings.

She looks around, as though the person calling her (almost making her _piss_ herself), is hiding inside her apartment, giggling in a corner somewhere like a total jackhole.

The pone continues ringing, squacking loudly. She picks it up and looks at the name flashing on the screen and her heart does this weird thing where it simultaneously leaps for joy and stops shortly thereafter.

She answers it and puts it to her ear.

"Hello." She greets cautiously, even though she knows exactly who it is at the other end.

_"Hey."_ He answers after a few beats, her name coming out like an endearment, making her breath catch._ "I just wanted to, you know, talk."_

"Talk?"

_"Yeah. I just... you know... I really wanted to... Talk about things..."_

She forgets sometimes how awkward he can get when he's uncomfortable like this. It's cute. Kind of. And a little endearing.

"Sooo..." She starts breezily. "You just called me, after we've spent an entire weekend together, to 'talk'?"

She honestly doesn't mean to make fun of him. Much.

_"That... is what I said."_ He says, as if to convince himself more than her. Like a history teacher trying to tell his students that reading about the Middle Ages is interesting or whatever.

"Danny." She makes sure to give an _oh, please_ connotation. Like, yeah, he wants to talk to her about the weather.

There's a sigh - nice and long - that enters her ears._ "Okay."_ He finally says after a moment._ "I... wanted to hear your voice."_

The words cause a lifting, untethering sensation in her heart and the begrudging note there makes her feel better that she's not the only one not pleased with having this _crazy_ sudden separation anxiety.

That and she can practically see that look on his face. The slight twist to his lips that takes place when he's nervous.

(The kind of look she remembers well when he takes her to that restaurant the first night in Santa Fe).

She can also feel the corners of her mouth turn up. Just a tad. "You wanted _hear_ my voice?" She teases, not being able to help herself.

_"Oh my God."_

"You big, ol' softie."

_"Stop."_

"You big, ol' softie bear."

_"I'm gonna hang up now."_

She only laughs. At him. With him. Either way, it feels good. The _mess_ he creates inside her stomach (that was first created the night she kissed him not to long ago) unfurling itself and sparking to life. Her body huming at the sound of his relieved chuckle.

Yes. It feels good. Indeed, it does.

...

**A/N: Yeah, I know. This was a short one. And it only contained one POV of our pairing. I'm aware. I just figured that given that my last chapter was a little bit longer that I'm granted permission to do something shorter. And also, I've already got other (extra long) ideas for my next chapter so, don't nag. I've got this. ;)**

**Thanks for reading and you guys are the best! :)**


	12. Back To Work

**Title:** Back To Work

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (sensuality)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Hey! I have been extremely happy with the reaction to my last chapter, as per usual and I thank all of you for the encouragement and support. :) Hopefully you find this longer abd more entertaining than the last one and that Mindy and Danny's doings when they get back to work ends up working for you.

**Disclaimer:** I own parts of my soul but, none of this.

...

Danny isn't quite sure how he's feeling about much most times. He isn't sure how he's feeling _half_ the time and usually prefers to ignore any kind of feelings that would encrouch on his comfortable 'feelings-are-stupid' mentality that he's adopted since the day his father ends up leaving the family. Since, years later, his ex-wife cheats on him and leaves him feeling like a fool.

But, he is sure about how he's feeling right now, though.

He's feeling... good. Good about being back at work. Good about being back at home, in New York. Good about the Rossi couple, who's baby he's gonna deliver later.

Good about..._ Mindy_.

As per normal, he's in the office before her (if they're not riding the subway together) and of course, that doesn't stop him from thinking about her. Wanting her presence near.

(A conversation is going through his mind now. The night before. Mindy's teasing voice in his ear. That warm, easy feeling in his chest as he laughs with her and the way he feels relief after he admits that he just wanted to hear her voice. The familiar banter between them and the nervous, slightly stumbling manner in which he asks her out on a date again because the other one had a very good ending.

And the tiny sigh she emits as she accepts his invite - a wistful, airy sound that transmits through the phoneline like a whisper.)

A high, sharp laugh breaks the silent wall of his concentration and it's barely a second before he's out of his chair and peaking out of his office door.

And there's Mindy. Funny, sexy, smart, beautiful Mindy. Wearing one of her preppy work oufits he secretly loves: Grey, long-sleeved, fitted dress, the collar of her white button-up peaking up the top. Those stripe-patterned tights spiralling and covering her legs, blending in with her black heels.

And of course, she has her glasses on. Big, black work glasses. With her hair, loose and flowing, around her face.

He stares at her. Questions reeling into his mind: Has she always been this stunning? Did she always have a nice smile? Had her hips always swayed like that? Has she always had this affect on him? This tingle down his spine?

He doesn't realize that Jeremy has popped next to him til he hears a throat clearing and more than that, he realizes he's been staring at Mindy and now, the whole of the secretary pool is staring at him and that Mindy is giving him a deer-in-the-headlights look.

_Great._

"What the hell are you guys looking at? Get back to work!" He demands and just like that, like nothing happened, the office is in motion again, people avoiding his eyes and he turns to go back into his desk.

Then, stops. Turns around again.

He catches Mindy as she looks down and away from him, a ghost of a smile lingering on her face as she buries her nose in a file and his chest swells when he lets out the breath he wasn't even sure he was holding.

...

The next he sees is her is a few hours later when she appears at his doorway of the office. "Lunch?"

He finds he doesn't need to be asked twice and gets up and grabs his coat, following her out, hearing her say something about stopping in her office first before leaving and he nods absently, eyes looking at her ass he walks a few paces behind her, fighting the urge to get up nice and close and place his hand right on the small of her back, bringing his nose at level with the scent of her hair.

But, he stays back and keeps following her until they are inside her office.

He closes the door and turns-

-Only to find himself with an armful of beautiful woman as Mindy almost launches herself at him, their mouths fusing together almost violently as she initiates a kiss.

A full-on, face-sucking, mouth-swallowing, passionate kiss.

And he returns it with just as much as force.

She forces her tongue through his teeth, licking inside his mouth, tangling her fingers into his hair and he tightens his arms around her, walking her backwards blindly as one of his hands grab onto the ass that his eyes has been following all morning.

She moans. He thinks. Could have been him. Doesn't really matter as long they keep kissing and he gets to be inside her soon, nothing else is gonna register.

It's a mixture of heavy breathing and fumbling and groping as they walk backwards. Hands everywhere. Mouths unwilling to part. Limbs tangling.

It's the thump of her spacking into her desk that brings them back to earth. Back to reality.

Slowly, they break from each other and Danny realizes that he's standing over her, between her legs, as she almost lays on her desk, her dress bunched over her waist with his hands on her thighs, his shirt unbuttoned down to his chest with her fingers spanning over his pecs.

Nevermind, that his pants are nearly undone and the hands under her dress are very almost near her underwear.

They stare at each other, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry." She finally says after a long moment, keeping her fingers to herself now, curling them against her own chest. "I didn't mean to do that."

He keeps staring at her. Blinks. "Are you sure?" He asks, voice extremely husky, even to his own ears.

He's not certain as to what the movement of her head is next as it is a mix of shake and nod.

Either way, it telegraphs what it needs to. She's not sure.

He stands up straight and steps away from her, the distance clearing his head. "So..." He begins after a minute. "...Lunch?"

She looks at him and he can tell from the expression in her eyes that she's grateful he let her off the hook.

For now.

...

Mindy doesn't exactly remember when she became a total work whore (okay, a little harsh but, seriously) and starts jumping her co-workers. Even if said co-worker is someone she's had sex with (for a whole freakin' weekend!) and is getting to go out on a date with... again.

Either way, she continues thinking about this as she heads to the breakroom after a successful delivering of Sheila O'Leary's baby boy and spending the last twenty minutes praising and helping the new parents settle into parenthood.

It's a fine night for bringing infants into the world.

And she's not sure if it's gonna get better as she turns to the corner into her destination and finds Danny watching tv on the couch she's planning on sitting in.

She heads to the snack machine first. Playing it cool.

If anything she's actually surprised about how _not_ awkward things are between them (considering the circumstances and that she _jumped_ him and all) but, yeah, can't help impulses, right?

She pays for her choice of snack and casually walks over to the couch, sitting down next to the man she's _sleeping_ with and looking directly at the television in front of them.

"Good delivery?"

She smiles. "Like you weren't watching?"

"Maybe." He teases back, surprisingly and from the corner of her eye, she sees him shrug. "But, I'm asking anyway."

"It went well."

"Good."

A beat. Then. "Saturday?"

"What?"

"Our date. Saturday night good for you?"

She thinks about it. "Yeah, that sounds good." She responses, not really trying to keep the surprise out of her voice that he's bringing this up right here and now.

She still looks ahead, but smiles anyway when she feels his lips on her cheek, sealing a kiss there.

And then, a few minutes later, her smile widens as she feels his fingers tangling around hers, her breath leaving _whoosh!_ as she allows herself to lay her hand on his broad shoulder, her chosen pillow moving a bit as he removes his hand from hers to wrap his arm around her.

And just like that, she's somewhere she'd never thought she'd be: Cuddling. With Danny Castellano. Clothed. On the breakroom couch. Watching weird, smelly-looking men snatch crab from the ocean.

Yup. It's a fine night, alright.


	13. Second First Date

**Title:** Second First Date

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (sensuality & thoughts)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Hey! Did anyone see the Oscars last night? *crickets* No. Well, I did and I loved it for obvious reasons (Seth Macfarlane, anybody?) and enjoyed it very much. Anyway, also loved last week's episode of Mindy Project! I kind of appreciated Danny's sorta hidden concern for Mindy's well-being with this whole news segment thing and his attempts to teach her how to do it well and ends up failing at doing it himself when he ends up having to. And yay! Got inspired by it! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this in any capacity. F !%k you, universe.

….

Over the next week following their first day back at work after The Weekend (yes, she _named_ it!) and Saturday just could not come fast enough, considering how antsy she'd become after he asked her.

Staring at herself in the mirror, Mindy scowls at the bright red dress she's wearing because it is _soo_ not working and just the sight of it is giving her a headache and god, _why_ is is she so nervous after everything-

Taking a deep breath, she stills and tries to calm down and not hide in her closet and ball up like a weird, round creature who can't deal with her problems like a boss. Not that that _this_ is a problem, she's just getting more and more anxious as the time starts to go by-

She lets out a loud scream as her phone rings and when her heart calms down, she picks it up and can't help her grin as she sees the caller id.

_Of course._

"You just almost gave me a heart attack. I hope you realize that." She answers as a way of greeting.

_"Hello to you, too, beautiful."_ He responses nearly bereft of sarcasm and her heart flippity-flops at what he calls her. _"Ready to go? I'm almost to your apartment."_

She looks down at the once-was-appealing bright candy red monstrosity draped over her body. "Almost."

There's a beat then. One in which she could sort of make out the noises of New York close by.

"Did you take the subway?"

_"No, babe. I have my car."_ An heart flip and she's quite sure it would come out, through her mouth, if possibe. Weirder things have happened. _"I'll see you in a few, then?"_

She says her good byes and hangs up, giving her reflection another frown. _Ugh, another trip to the closet it is, then._

...

It's another 45 and some change minutes before Mindy is ready in a tight blue, form-fitting dress with her make-up done and matching heels that she is sure makes her legs look a little longer and the outfit more put-together.

And - because of past experience - she's absolutely _certain_ that Danny will love this choice.

She hears a knock at her door as she puts the finishing touches on her hair.

_Speak of the devil._

After she opens it, it is a full minute before she could speak any words because he looks that handsome. And masculine. And sexy.

And in _awe_ of her.

"I'd say you look nice but, I think that would be an understatement." He remarks, drawing her close for a kiss, which she returns with restrained passion because she does not want to end up sleeping with him before their date because that... would be un-ladylike and who are _you_, to judge her?

But, of course, this is Danny and he's not gonna make this easy on her and the lazy way she returns his attentions only seems to bring out the brute in him and he kisses her all that much harder, one hand digging fingers into her hip while the other goes to her hair to tilt her head up to deepen the fuse of their mouths together.

She honestly means to grab onto the lapels of his coat to gently pull away from him but, well, it doesn't work out that way and she only manages to bring him closer, his hard chest pressing into her breasts, inflaming her. Exciting her. Lighting her up, like only he can anymore.

That hand at her hip brushes up and over her side and her pulse jumps and she doesn't think (doesn't_ know_) about wanting someone this much. About _needing_ someone like this.

She also thinks it isn't fair that it's him. Someone who's been under her nose this whole time.

Someone she didn't have the general decency to look at until The Weekend.

It takes a while but, they do part at some point. Although, not far enough and she lets out a gust of breath as he leans his forehead on hers and - her heart _doesn't_ flutter, no it doesn't - bump and nuzzle his nose onto hers, his hands rubbing at her arms as they both attempt to calm down, her breathing speeding up despite the gesture. The tender flesh between her thighs throbbing and sharply _aware_ of him.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself." He says softly after a moment, in a tone of voice that's the most un-apologetic she's ever heard.

She responses with. "It's okay." And realizes, with nearly shocking clarity, how sincere she's being.

...

Danny isn't sure about the Indian restaurant he chooses to take Mindy until they get there and she spins around to face him with the largest, most stunning smile he's ever had the pleasure of seeing. A nice, big, teeth-baring grin that makes something inside tug loose inside him, like a knot on stubborn rope.

That smile of hers only grows bigger as they walk inside and the hostess walks them to their table.

"Oh, I like this." She says with an excitement akin to that of a small child in a candy store. "This is nice."

"I'm glad you do." Is all he could manage because he's almost inordinately pleased with himself that she's happy with the choice he made.

Once they situate themselves at the table, they share talk about work for a while before the waitress arrives and asks their order - which, a short while later, comes and turns out to be dishes of a type of chicken in red sauce and rice and steaming flatbread brushed with butter.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while." He admits as breezily as he can before grabbing onto some flatbread, the buttery residue sticking to his fingers after and then going for a napkin to wipe it off.

"A while, huh?"

Her teasing tone causes him to look up again and pauses when he does.

She's also indulging in her bread and has also gotten some butter on her fingertips and inspects them before shrugging slightly and licking them.

The sight of her tongue on her fingers bring to mind images - both experienced and imagined - of her tongue, his fingers; her tongue, his abdomen; her tongue, his cock. And he has to _remind_ himself of his promise to keep things at least a little PG-13 during this date. He has to. Or else she'll only end up thinking that's _all_ he wants from her.

Which, incidently, he doesn't.

(He can be a gentleman).

"Yeah."

"I guess." She starts casually after swallowing her mouthful. "I just never realized how much you wanted _all of this_." Jokingly, she gestures over her blue dress-clad upper body and then grins at him widely. "Did you, like, imagine the many different ways you'd ask me out and then making _sweet, sweet love_ to me afterwards?" She cackles a bit and lifts her food to her mouth, unaware of how perfectly on the mark she is.

So, he lets her know. "Yeah."

The serious tone of his voice must catch her off guard because her fork stops at her mouth and she looks at him, eyes wide and beautiful. "Are you... Really?"

"Yeah."

She pops the food in her mouth and he watches as she chews slowly, taking a sip of her water, probably thinking of what to say to him.

"Danny." She clears her throat and goes again, somewhat foolishly. "You can't- I mean, I'm not-"

He does. She is. And he can. He still doesn't know how to make it clear to her without embarrassing himself, again.

"Yeah." He repeats, staring into her eyes. "Yeah, I can. And yes, you are."

"But, you think I'm-"

"There are some things we don't always agree on. True. But, there's always something about you." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "I've asked myself plenty of times, believe me. And it has been a _long_ time since I've accounted you as one of the most beautiful, amazing women I've ever known."

She doesn't say anything else after that but, the small smile on her face is well worth his newfound emotional frankness.

It's worth_ everthing_.

...

She invites him in after the date after kissing him with lustful enthusiasm, her fingers dragging him by the lapels of his coat, his own digging into her round hips as he pins her to the wall next to her building door.

He does decline, though.

He_ can_ be a gentleman, after all.

...

**A/N: Thanks for reading! :) Again, I appreciate you all very much, as always. Hope you enjoyed! ;)**


	14. Wine Dine & Do

**Title:** Wine Dine & Do

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** M (for some language & sexual content)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note**: Well, well, well… Look what the big, fat cat dragged in with a limp? Oh, I'm kidding! I'm totally kidding! It's only me. I'm back after quite a few weeks of radio silence on the fic front and am very apologetic for that much as I didn't mean to abandon this so suddenly. I just think because of the new episode accoming (or already here, depending on when I finish this), that a new chapter was due and I have a pretty good idea of how it's gonna go. _Pretty_ good idea? I know. I should already know how everything is gonna turn out here, considering all the time I've taken off (which is kinda why I'm gonna have to put any plans of writing a novel of any sort on hold til I get comfortable with large, book-based outlines and proposals or whatever) but, no, I haven't. Why? Because I was actually thinking of writing something here last week but, ended up _busy_ and when I wasn't, my outta-shape ass was resting (I wasn't playing sports but, I was in the vicinity, let's just say) and any thought of this story that I had would quickly disappear before I could catch it and properly analyze it. But, enjoy! Hope you haven't lost interest.

**Disclaimer:** Must we go through this_ every_ time?

...

It's almost three weeks, two more dates and several, secret-_even-though-everyone-is-nosey-and-kinda-already-knows _lunch trips, when Danny invites Mindy to his place.

It happens when it's mid-day and she's passing his office on the way to hers when she hears him call out.

"Dr. Lahiri? Can you come in here, please?"

She's not quite sure what he's gonna go on about because there's been times in the past that he's called her 'Doctor Lahiri' and it's been for purely professional reasons but, he's also started doing that after they've come home and... _hanky-panky_ would ensue.

Of course, nothing else, besides that, happens anyway because they haven't been having sex since coming home and she... _hates_ that.

Like _hates_ it, hates it. Like really hates it.

It's hard having a dry spell to begin with. But, to have that dry spell suddenly soaked over with a large sprinkler and then have that sprinkler leave you be out of nowhere after a full weekend it wouldn't leave you alone is quite another.

Not that he's _ignoring_ her or anything. He looks at her plenty. He kisses her a lot, too. And touchs her now and again, if he _soo_ pleases.

(Which is _all_ of the time).

Like, a brush of the hand when they pass each other in the hall. Sitting extra (_extra_) close to her on the breakroom couch, even with the danger of other people in the room with them. Playing with the ends of her hair as he stands behind her desk in her office. Or during a quiet moment where they could talk during the busy day and he would deliberately slide his hands over her waist and rub his thumbs there as he pulls her close to him for a greeting kiss.

It's not fair. She wants (_needs_) more than this. She _deserves_ more than this.

(Okay, well, _maybe_ she's being _a little_ high and mighty about this. She now knows that there are two parts to Danny Castellano than previously thought and that he simply won't let out to the public: The supreme manly-man. The slightly aggressive, sexy, take-charge example of masculinity that grabs and pins you until you see _God_ or you know, fucks you in an elevater. Or the shower. And then, there's the gentleman: The man who opens the door for her. Puts his jacket on her when she's cold even without her asking or indicating anything. The man who has no problem being affectionate towards her or placing a kiss on her forehead and rubbing her back when she's exhausted and cranky after a long day.

And the mix of the two that is making her _stupidly_ happy, despite the sexual cold front).

"Yes, Danny?" She asks as she turns to look at him, eyebrow cocked as he approaches her, the look in his eye something she's quickly becoming familiar with since coming home and her heartbeat accelerates as he places his hands on her waist and tugs her forward for a long, drawn-out kiss that makes her whole body tingle, causing the world around her to momentarily hush down into _warm_ and _soft_ and _lusty_ and _Danny_.

"Hey." He says softly, after pulling away from her, though, she notes, his hands remain where they are, furnace-warm and strong through her clothes.

"Hi." She breathes and then speaks again after gaining composure. "Was there a reason for that?"

He stares at her for a long time and before she can talk again to break the increasingly intense moment, he takes her hand and places something in it. Something cold. Metal. And when she looks down, her breath draws inward as she sees that it's a key.

"Wha-?" Her mind runs away with a million different scenarios and neither one of them is making her less anxious than the one before and yeah, it really is too soon for something like this-

"Relax, Lahiri." His voice cuts through the thoughts in her head like a knife and she looks at him. He seems like he's both amused and a little nervous. "It's not what it looks like. I wanna invite you to dinner at my place tonight and well, I thought I might give you a key to get in." The nerves are winning over the amusement now, she can see and he scratches the back of his head. "And you know, if you wanted to, you could keep it." His eyes widen a bit then and he quickly reiterates. "Or you know, if you don't want to. _That's_ fine, too. Whatever you wanna do."

She smiles at him. "You want me to have dinner at your place?"

"Yeah. I do." He's now looking this way and that, not meeting her eye.

And she simply cannot have that.

"Danny." She grabs both sides of his face and makes him look at her. "I will gladly have dinner at your place tonight."

She gives him a brief, sweet kiss before heading to his door, a stupid grin forming on her face as she walks out.

...

Surprisingly, it doesn't take her a long, _long_ time to pick something to wear because the moment she steps into one of her many/but not a lot (_five_) closets and her eyes spot the black dress right up in the back that she normally ignores, she feels her lips curl upward into a smile and she just_ knows_.

(She still hasn't figured out why but, her in simple clothing for dates seem to be Danny's _catnip_. Even with other guys. Which is weird. But, kinda nice because it lets her know a bit that he had a thought, even then, to her appearance and how nice she would look in a certain outfit).

The thing clings and drapes and flatters over her curves and yeah, _who's_ getting lucky tonight? _This girl! _She thinks gleefully as she pulls on some black hoisery to go with the dress, followed by simply black heels.

But, no, seriously, she hopes so. Like, seriously. She seriously wants to get some tonight. After indulging in the decadent Italian dessert that is Danny Castellano, her body just wants some more of that. To have a sex with a man she really, truly _likes_. Who already knows her and that proved over and over again that he wants her just as badly.

Anyway, she shouldn't get ahead of herself. She knows something of what he's doing and that the gentleman part of him is taking the reins now and quite possibly keeping him from jumping her at the end of each and every one of their encounters despite the fact that his mouth wants any but.

_Whatever_. She shakes her head as she puts the finishing touches on her make-up, deliberately applying another coat of lipstick before blotting with a tissue, the light, rosy shade doing wonders for her lips then, adjusting the push-up bra under her dress for an extra boost.

And then following that, she spritz on some of her favorite perfume (light vanilla and blackberries; _another_ Danny fave, apparently, as he tells her everytime she wears it, quite emphatically and with _lots_ of physical contact, in fact, how _good_ she smells) and heads out, her black kitten heels clicking onto the floor as she leaves with her manila coat on her arm.

...

Danny's house turns out to be a few subway stops away from hers and she vaguely remembers already having this knowledge installed into her memory because of their many shared train rides together and the building, like he told her before leaving work earlier, is a few paces away on feet alone so, it's ten minutes before she ends up at a large, tall apartment building in a really nice part of town that she immediately thinks about visiting again.

She contains any feelings of excitement as she takes her key and gets onto the elevater shaft and slips inside, feeling almost like it's gonna take her to some _crazy_ erotic sex dungeon penthouse with the way the light dims as it closes on her inside.

_But, that's ridiculous_. She thinks._ He probably wouldn't like a penthouse._

The apartment turns out to two floors from the floor a penthouse would be and the elevater stops a foot from a big door that her key easily opens and her breath whooshes out in a loud sigh as she finally takes in his place.

It's bigger than she actually pictured and not at all like a 1920s speakeasy like she initially assumed and it's got wide spaces and wood paneling with huge windows at the front of the apartment (that quickly bring to mind that sex addict movie with Michael Fassbender in it) and as she walks further in, she notes the tasteful rug under the modern leather couch with a few cushions on it. The floor, a deep, dark walnut that _clicks_ and _clacks_ as she walks.

It's nice. And warm. And homely, despite it's clear bachelor-esque feel. And also, reflects it's owner a bit.

It's owner that while a bachelor, is also not a messy fratboy but, a grown man. A grown man who's also a successful, wealthy doctor who's apparently quite neat.

She picks up on the smell of something spicy and delicious just as her date appears from an area that also has a faint smoke coming from it and what she concludes to be the kitchen.

"Hey." _Speaking of spicy and delicious._ She thinks wryly as he walks to her. _He_ looks good enough to eat, wearing the hell out of a tight, black dress shirt and matching slacks that make him look a _very_ sexy model.

"Hi."

He gives her a look _soo_ appraising that her face blushes furiously and the ever-present flutter inside her goes wild. "You look nice."

_Nice? Well, two can play at this game, pal._ "You clean up well, too, I guess."

He grins at her before leaning for a kiss that lands to the side of her mouth and she catches a quick whiff of his cologne but, before she can her head to capture his lips, a noise sounds from the kitchen and he tells her to make herself at home before leaving her staring at his perfect ass in those pants.

_Damn._

She does make herself at home and, a heaping serving of homemade lasagna and a few glasses of red wine later, ends up looking at the pictures on his mantle, spotting a few of him as a kid with his family and then, only a tiny bit of him as an adult, feeling almost as if she's being let in on a secret that only he knows as she takes in the pictorial evidence of his life outside of her and the practice before a ripple spreads from her fingertips all the way down to her spine and there's an instictive clenching of awareness deep inside and she already knows he's there with her long before he starts to speak.

"Enjoying yourself?" His breath, hot and tantalizing, blows near her ear as he wraps his arms around her middle, trapping her against him and she leans into him, placing her hands on his strong arms as he nuzzles her beneathe her jaw, squeezing her tightly when she leans back a bit to encourage his attentions.

"Yes."

He kisses up and down her neck. "Dance with me."

She pictures him at that dance club. The way his body can move.

She's just about to point out, though, that there's no music before she picks up on the sound of a jazzy tune starting to play throughout the apartment and nods, her voice gone for the moment and he must feel it because the next thing she knows, she's being pulled gently and they're in the middle of the living room and when he places his hands on her waist, her breathing speeds up and with the way her body responses, not to mention the knowing look in his eye, there's ansolutely no doubt in her mind that this is some kind of foreplay of some sort and she becomes wet on instinct and anticipation alone.

He gently urges her forward until she's flush against him, her hips and chest pressing into him, and as they start moving to the semi-erotic song in the air, she knows that by the end of the night she'll be his again (_if she isn't already_).

And she can't wait.

It doesn't take very long for them to get there to be honest because _boy_, could the man move and the bluesy music, though not overtly sexual, is not helping her libido in any way and she feels even more turned on than normal.

When he turns her and pulls her close to him again, helping her to move her hips to move with him, she suddenly realizes the very evident excitement caused by their dancing (and by _her_, no less) and yeah, well, she's done for and all she can think about is getting him as naked as he can be and in her as soon as possible.

Before she could do anything about her thoughts, he spins her around and stares into her eyes, his thumb stroking her bottom lip.

Her lips open without protest and when he presses the digits onto her teeth, she follows and takes a tiny nip at his offered thumb, the sensation causing the heat in her belly to go nuclear.

"Goddamit. I want you so much." He says in a gravelly, husky tone that goes straight through her and she releases a shakey sigh as he moves forward and lifts her chin by the now re-moved thumb and immediately placing his mouth over hers and initiating a kiss.

And it's a nice, slow, sensual one that makes her knees weak and her center moisten even more.

And as it turns more and more passionate, her hands at his chest tighten and curl into his button-down, her nails dragging him closer still, moaning as his restraint leaves him and grabs her to him, arms around her as she vaguely registers movement then before coming to the hazy conclusion that he's moving them somewhere and the cushiony, cool surface her back tumbles onto with him top of her, hungry and bold, is unknown to her before she realizes that it is indeed, the couch.

But, all that - everything little thing tangible - dissipates from her thoughts as he takes in Danny above her, lips wet and eyes dark, staring at her like she's a fantasy come true.

It wouldn't be the first time but, yeah, it never manages to _not_ astound her how much he wants her - his words, spoken barely seconds ago, not withstanding - and her heart pounds and the pulsating sensation between her thighs roars even more to life than before.

He lifts a hand and his fingetips touch her cheek. Traces the contours of her face. Brushing lightly down her neck to collarbone. Marking a path between her breasts.

Her body unfurls, unbearably aroused. Her heart beats faster still. Her thoughts slow. The world receding until there is only Danny.

"I lied before." He murmurs, flattening a palm on her sternum. The weight heavy and strong. Warm. A foretaste of what his body feels like pressing on top of hers.

"Huh?" She responses breathlessly, surprise parting through her lust. "What?"

He leans down and kisses her softly. Tenderly.

She takes a harsh, deep breath as he leaves her lips and continues to the side of her neck, nuzzling her. Putting teeth into his kisses up her throat. Speaking his answer into her skin. "You don't look nice." His hands continue moving over her body, scattering her brain effortlessly. "You look completely, unbelievably, _fuckably_ gorgeous." As his nose joins in on exploring the flesh at her jaw, he pauses, breathing deeply. "And you smell amazing. The perfume you wear makes me hard."

She arches in his arms. Rubbing herself against the hardness in question. Thrusting her breasts up. Her head falling back and letting out a little moan.

"I love that sound." He says. "Make it for me again."

He sucks at her neck, hard enough to leave a mark. She obliges him.

"That's it." He groans. "Jesus Christ, that's it."

His hands start travelling again, finding the zipper at the side of her dress. The rasping of it sliding down filling the air.

Her dress comes down, baring her upper half to him and hands drift up her rib cage. And when he gets to her black bra, he draws a circle around the edges of one lace cup, gradually working his way inward until he brushes a nipple.

Her body jerks and she grabs onto his shoulder. Looking into his focused, handsome face.

His eyes are darker than ever. The promise of raw, rough, pounding sex and his ferocious hunger for her obvious in the grinding of his strong jaw. The heat coming off his body. The tension in his neck and chest.

But, he's utterly in control of himself. And her.

"You know, I've been too greedy with you." He says, bringing his head down to her collarbone. Biting her softly. Tongue licking over the spot, stroking. Moving lower, to her breastbone. "I haven't taken you the right way."

"I'm not so sure about that." She murmurs roughly.

He just laughs deeply, breath warm and moist over her skin. Kissing up the top of her breast and then taking her nipple into his mouth, through lace and she arches again, feeling like a dam's breaking between her legs.

His head lifts then, a smile of anticipation pulling at his lips.

He gently slides the bra strap and peels the lace away, her nipple puckering more for him. Watching as his head goes down to her skin. His tongue, glossy and glistening, coming out of his mouth and licking at her.

When her thighs part without any prompting from him, he laughs again. A thick, male sound of satisfaction.

His hand moves down, slipping through under her dress, brushing against her hip, moving slowly over her lower belly. Finding the edge of her panties and sliding his forefinger underneathe the wispy lace. Just a little.

He starts moving the fingertip back and forth, a sensuous tickle_ inches_ from where she wants it to be. _Needs_ it to be.

"More." She tries to demand. "I want more."

"And you'll get it." His whole hand disappears under the panties and she cries out as he comes in contact with her hot, wet core. "But, Mindy?"

She's barely breathing. Barely conscious. "Hmm?"

"Do you wanna know what you taste like?" He questions against her breast.

One long finger dips into her body. As if letting her know he's_ not_ talking about her mouth.

She grips his back through the black shirt, scouring him with her nails.

"Sweet, like dark honey." He says, shifting her body, moving downward with his mouth, kissing the skin of her stomach. "Like tasting honey. Deep and silky as I suck. Smooth and sweet as I swallow it down my throat."

She moans loudly, close to orgasm and far away from her own insanity.

With a quick movement, he shifts again and then, he's just _there_, parting her thighs more with his head and placing his mouth over the black lace between her legs.

She gasps and pushes her fingers into his dark hair, pulling slightly.

He pulls up again, almost black, liquid gaze sliding over her body as he gildes his hands down her thighs with her underwear. Marking her. Leaving no doubt in her mind how much he desires her.

Then his head lowers again.

...

**A/N: Guys! Guys! I swear I was gonna add a section with Dany's POV but, yeah, this was already getting too long for my taste. So, sorry. Hope you enjoyed it, though! ;)**

**Also, the song that I pictured Mindy and Danny dancing to after their dinner is _Missing You_ by Hans Theessink. It's fantastic. And quite sexy.**

**Prompt Alert: Different ending to the recent birthday episode, where there is no Alex/Danny interaction and no appearance by Branden. Where Danny goes to see Mindy after the distastrous dinner (also, he didn't get injured) and makes her feel better. Whether it's in a dirty, smutty way or not, that's your choice, but either way at least include a good kiss. Like a really good kiss. And if you want, have him give her an actual birtday gift that makes her happy. Thanks for reading, guys! :)**


	15. Soon Enough

**Title:** Soon Enough

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** M (language & some sex)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** _Sooo_... I really enjoyed last week's episode! Loved the Danny/Mindy moments in it (even their little fight at the restaurant!) and the look he had on his face at the end there. Awww! Kind of killed me a little. :) Anyway, I'm glad you guys enjoyed my last chapter, despite it being bereft of any Danny POVs and also, that it basically was a chapter about foreplay instead of the straight-forward stuff but, obviously, you guys loved it regardless and I thank you for that. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I won't admit it.

...

Mindy is quite sure that mornings are _supposed_ to be a lot brighter and bring more, you know, _daylight_ into a room than it looks right now as it is still _dark_ and the vibe is very _nighttime_-

But, yeah, that's what pops to mind when she wakes up in an unfamiliar, yet_ insanely_ comfortable bed and facing a large full window that clearly shows the sky outside to be dark (and that it's _probably _the middle of the night) and when she tries moving and shifting a bit, she realizes that a strong, broad arm is holding her from behind and only tugs her backward into an equally hard body and then she remembers _Danny_ and memories of earlier activities barrange her brain and a grin immediately splits her lips apart as she turns in the embrace of her captor to face him.

_Gosh, Danny's possessive in his sleep! Who da thunk it?_

(Well, _she_ would have, considering they shared at bed in New Mexico but, _oh well_, semantics.)

After a few struggles at first, she finally gets to turn around and see her bedmate, his now messy dark hair against his slate gray pillow and one big arm under said pillow, the other curling around her waist even as she faces him, half of his face smooshed in his sleep, quiet snores escaping him.

Feeling something deep and altogether tender tether inside her chest - and, let's face it, it's not like she can _help_ herself with him looking _soo_ cute - Mindy lifts a hand and palms his handsome, slumbering face, the muscle of his jaw fine and chiselled, the skin soft and stapled with the tiniest bit of stubble. The kissable lips full and moist under her fingertips.

Her eyes scan that face. All the angles and shadows there.

The palm resting on his face eventually decides to explore downward. Mapping out his broad shoulder. The jut of his collarbone. Down the well-honed muscle of his arm, the hairs there.

She realizes, after a few minutes, that she needs to go to the bathroom and is actually really parched and a little hungry and struggles between ignoring her urges and staying in bed or leaving momentarily to eleviate them. Like, _really_ struggles with it.

Because she doesn't wanna leave. Like, not now. _Maybe_ ever.

She ends up getting out of bed, with a quick kiss on his cheek and feet quiet on his hardwood floor and stealthily grabbing his shirt off of the floor and putting it on, the collar feeling cool and smelling of him against her nose.

Before she can go though, she turns right back around around and looks at him, heart pinching _mightily_ as he shifts and lays more fully on his back, an arm across his abdomen while the other ends up flipping over his eyes, an almost adorable frown pulling at those kissable lips of his.

Dammit. She really _doesn't_ wanna leave. To the kitchen. Which would take five minutes. _Ten_, tops.

_To stay or to go. To stay or to-_

She goes.

She can come right back anyway.

...

The first tangible thing that comes to Danny's mind when he wakes up, the haze in his brain lifting slowly but, surely, is that his bed is colder than when he fell asleep in it and when he shifts around instinctively to grab a hold of Mindy only to come up empty, blindly mapping out the spot she was on, he realizes why.

She's not there.

As in, she's gone.

The fact doesn't become completely concrete, however, until - still in a sleep-induced stupor - he rolls over and his face finds her pillow and with his eyes still closed, nuzzles it with an impulsive sniff, her scent (and his favorite smell) wafting up his nostrils and the tiny twist inside him tightens further upon the realization that the woman he fell asleep is no longer there.

Without his permission, his body stiffens in disappointment and his mind goes through several scenarios all at once.

_Maybe she freaked out again and left?_

_Maybe she changed her mind?_

_Maybe she's-_

A clanging sound, loud and audible, comes through his large apartment walls and into his ears.

_-Murdering my kitchen?_

Confused - and okay, more than a_ little hopeful_ - he forces himself out of bed and starts out of his bedroom, forgoing putting on any clothing because it's not like if she hasn't seen _everything_ at this point and he has nothing to be ashamed of.

(It also occurs to him that he might be wrong and that there very well may be a burglar in his home and that he's walking out to face said criminal butt-ass naked. But, yeah, it's not like he was joking when he told Mindy once that a real man - like him -should be able to get out of bed naked with a baseball bat.

Said baseball bat being behind his bedroom door should things go South.

That saying that the guy wouldn't immediately _run away_ from him because _who_ wants to fight a naked guy?)

Any thoughts that he's in for a fight, though, gets smashed to pieces when he looks out of his open door to see Mindy standing with her back to him and facing the large window that takes up most of his apartment, dressed - to his smug delight - in the shirt he wore earlier, her legs bare and shapely under it as she stands there.

The glass half full of water on his kitchen counter only confirms how wrong he was.

The last bit of tension that had acculminated in his body _whooshes_ out at the sight of her and he feels slightly dim for thinking that she would leave him like that in the middle of the night. Because having a sex-filled weekend in another city and state is one thing but, sleeping each other's apartments in the place they both live _and_ work is quite another.

And for a brief, regretful moment, he thought she had that in mind and decided to skip out.

_Nice one, Castellano. Nice one._

"You weren't in bed." He says casually, naturally wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her to him, smirking at the slight squeak that escapes her as he makes his presence known. "I thought you'd skipped out on me."

"Geez, Castellano, don't you ever say hello to someone before sneaking up on them?!" She exclaims in question, but leaning up into him and placing her hands on his arms, regardless of her precieved annoyance.

"Where's the fun in that?" He murmurs, kissing her beneathe the ear.

She chuckles as he nuzzles her all the same. "You're the worst."

"You are..." He trails off in a hush as he nips at her neck.

She leans more into him and sighs and he enjoys himself with her soft, fragrant skin until her voice comes back in a questioning tone. "I am...?"

"... Amazing." He finishes without meaning to, silently cursing himself.

But, it's not anything new. He never really means to tell her these things. He never really means for his mouth to give him away as much as it does. The words rolling off his tongue like a rush off of a waterfall. Constant. Inevitable. Unavoidable.

"Amazing, eh?" She teases, moving her head at another angle to let him kiss her there.

"Mmm..."

There's a silence that follows and he indulges himself before she stops him short. "Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"You didn't think I actually left, did you?"

He would keep going here. He _should_. He's good at distracting her from talking and instead making more_ encouraging_ and _addictive_ sounds he can't get enough as opposed to reaching inside him with her perfectly manicured fingers and grasping him by the heart with her highly curious words.

"Nooo..." He says, drawing out the answer and god, _wow_, he's a terrible liar. He should just hand in his lie card and be done with it.

"Danny-"

"It was only for a minute-"

"Danny-"

"I just woke up and you weren't there-" His voice, to his horror, wavers as he tries explaining himself.

"Danny." He lets her speak this time and lays his chin on her shoulder to listen to what she has to say. "I like you. I like _this_. And besides, I don't like leaving in the middle of the night. That's not my style. I've only left on one of my few, gross casual hook-ups..." His nose wrinkles in distate at the thought. "And this isn't one. Do you want it to be?"

"God, no."

"Okay then." She turns to face him in his arms still, her face smiling and bright. "So, it's agreed. No leaving in the middle of the night then?"

He feels himself nodding before she grabs his face and distracts_ him_ this time with a kiss, her tongue slipping between his teeth, causing him to groan helplessly despite himself, his hands bunching up the fabric of his shirt on her naked body.

_Mostly_ naked body as he comes to find out when his fingers encounter lace unfortunately covering her bountiful ass.

He pats her there and pulls his mouth away from hers. "Seriously? You had put underwear on for a glass of _fucking water_?" He asks gruffly, sudden fustration creeping in at not being able to reach her skin, though he'd been doing exactly that just a few hours earliar.

But, _god_, he just wants her so much.

Not fair. Ansolutely not fair how much he wants her.

And it's not even just the sexual really (like it _ever_ was). He wants _this_. Her. Every night of his life. Not only to sink into her slick, creamy depths every time he wants to but, to just _have_ her here. To be with him. To grace his home with her presence. Her warmth. Her big heart. Her annoyingly happy-go-lucky charm and sense of fun and humor.

(It comes to visceral life in his mind: Arriving home together after a long, tiring day. Her yelling at him because he forgets to pick up his shit - unlikely, but, it could happen - or that he forgets that her parents are coming for their monthly visit and she still wants to impress her mother after all this time. Or that his _mom_ is coming over and despite her already loving Mindy, she still wants to impress _her_ after all this time and make her feel welcome at their home - even though his mom has seen his place in worse conditions.

Or the simple task of cooking them dinner after he knows she hasn't eaten because of a difficult delivery.

Or her giving him a neck message to soothe away his stress if he has a hard day.)

But, that's too soon, he realizes and just concentrates on lifting the woman in his arms to press her against his large pane glass window and slide right up inside her at _just_ the right angle and swallowing her tiny gasping moan with his tongue, the taste and _feel_ of her already frighteningly being like coming into a warm, clear shelter after a long, foggy, rainy day.

Something Danny will probably have more of firsthand soon enough.

...

**A/N: Uh... Hope it wasn't _too_ sappy because I'm pretty sure Danny's not the type but, I figured since I already went the route of him having had residual feelings for Mindy even before their New Mexico trip and their shanigans helping them grow more, I just went what the hell? and just went for it here. Hope you enjoyed!**


	16. Me, Too

**Title:** Me, Too

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** 'Sup? I am having a good ol' time writing this story! Not only because it's basically my fantasy scenario concerning the getting-together-of-this-couple (who ARE getting together because, despite her recent words about their future, I have a big feeling that she will be changing her mind soon!). And obviously, I've been LOVING all the feedback that I have received for each and every chapter! You guys are the greatest and I'm thankful everyday for your support and reviews and alerts! ;) Hope you enjoy this latest update!

**Disclaimer:** Not an aorta of this is mine.

….

"What's your favorite color?"

"Black."

"Black's _not_ a color, Danny."

"Yes, it is."

"Black's more like a _shade_, really."

"It's my favorite on you."

"Hence the little black dresses?"

"Yeah."

"Good save, Castellano."

Danny looks over at the woman in his bed, her dark hair spread over her pillow, fingers peaking out of the shirt of his she wore to sleep earlier, sparkling eyes blinking in his direction and he remembers waking up, happy and warm, with her head on his chest and the smell of her hair on his nose and the gradual waking up that turns into them facing each other in the early morning light.

He likes this, he realizes. Looking at her, beautiful and smiling, first thing in the morning.

"How about you? Yellow, I'm guessing? Pink? Orange? Anything bright?" He strokes fingers over the shirt she wears, the black shade giving credence to his statement.

"Haha." She hawks back, smoothing a palm over one of his pecs and all the way down his toned abdomen, the muscles twitching reactively to her touch.

"It's pink, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

_Because I know you better than any woman I know._ "Because you wear it too damn much around the office. Seriously, there should be some sort of dress code there. You've worn every color in the rainbow."

She smacks at his chest and grins widely. "You asshole!" She says, a loud cackle erupting from inside her despite the statement.

He takes the opportunity to grab the offending hand and with the leverage, maneuvers her onto her back, laughing and smiling with her, feeling almost too playful for his own good. And it's no shock to him anymore. This feeling of wanting to make her giggle and grin. It's been a secret pleasure of his before and it's an even more bigger one now.

Somehow, though, the playfulness comes to a halt and he finds himself contemplating, looking down at her as he perches his body above hers. Eyes scanning her face. The bright smile on her face. The familiar yet new twinkle in her eye.

(A memory coming through his mind right then: Two years ago. He's walking through hospital corridors in need of a break after a particularly long day and searching out the safe haven of a snack and bad TV. And stops short near the breakroom he's seeking, eyes locking through the double doors nearby. Mindy's there. With Tom. Though, it's not exactly PDA, the expression on her face and her hand gestures speak volumes. She's twirling her hair. Touching his arm every now and then. But, her_ face_, though. It's open. Giddy. The curling and movement of her mouth permeates laughter and pleased words. Her eyes - he could imagine, from his standpoint - focusing on the man in front of her with rapt attention.

He has no idea why, but his chest burns and a bristling sensation takes over his whole body.

Even after everything with his ex-wife, he's still not very good with identifying jealousy.

He shakes it off and walks into the breakroom.

He has no idea that that is the day he makes it one of his personal goals to get her to look at him like that.

Something he thought impossible. Until recently.

Until now.)

He doesn't realize how still he's become and that he's staring until Mindy's wiggling brings him back to the present and his focus goes back to her (and not the _memory_ of her) and he finds her looking up at her, a frown in place of the smile that was there. "What's wrong with you? We were getting interesting and you just spaced out."

He simply looks at her, searching the words out to explain what he's feeling. It's disconcerning sometimes. The idea that his mouth can run away from him, exposing him fully and clamp shut the next, keeping him from expressing what he wants to say.

"Nothing." He says instead, to his chagrin, and leans towards her and kisses her. "Just thinking of you." He finishes with the truth and sets about distracting her. Distracting them both.

...

Mindy's sure Gwen will forgive her for being a _little_ late for their lunch today. It's not like, she _meant_ to spend the night at Danny's. She didn't even think that he would've wanted her to. But, she does and he does and there you have it.

She thinks about this as she heads into his kitchen, the smell of coffee plesantly filling her nostrils and the sight of Danny in pajama bottoms and a t-shirt dashing at her self-control.

He hands her a coffee without her asking. "Hey."

"Hey you." He plants a hand on her hip and gives her a lingering kiss.

She excepts it, mouth going pliant and soft under his, her hands curling into his shoulders, boosting her body up to meet his own.

When he finally pulls away, he just looks at her, expression odd, eyes with a strange expression in them.

She's seen this expression on his face before. A cross between looking on her like she killed someone and like she's something he's never seen before.

It's the type of look she gets butterflies from.

Not to mention, how confused it makes her. She knows how he feels about her. How strongly he feels about her, no less. God knows he vocalizes it enough for her to not misinterpret what he wants. Something she's rapidly realizing with more time spent with him, that she didn't get enough of from her prior relationships. No slip of the tongue emotional moments or outbursts or declarations.

If anything, she knows now that her previous romances are starting to appear bland and dull compared to what's happening between her and Danny.

For one, he knows her. Like, really knows her. For a very long time. And still wants her. She doesn't need to impress him or anything. Doesn't need to act someone else entirely for him to like her.

_"I'm crazy about you."_ Those words ring in her head. Reverberating through her body. The look in his eye. The collapsing of tension in his shoulders after she makes it clear that she cares for him.

The expression on his face now calls back to that and she can't help but, ask. "What? Is something wrong?"

The glaze over his eyes dissipates and he seems to shake himself out of it. "Nothing. It's just..." He looks down at his floor, his hand at her hip still and it's a few minutes where he starts to look back up at her again, eyes ping-ponging with his thoughts. Putting together a piece of a puzzle. "I'm just really..." The word leaves him in a slow exhale as though it's surprises even him to say it. "I'm just really happy."

Her own breath leaves her in a shaky way and her heart pounds faster as she acts on impulse and flies into his arms with a squeal, wrapping her arms around him.

Happy. She makes him happy. If that's not a sign she's supposed to be here, Mindy doesn't know what is.

"Mindy?"

She looks up. Meets his eyes. Sees the nerves there.

She has a sudden urge. An urge to cry. An urge to hold him and not let go. Uge to tell him she thinks she lo-

"Me, too." She responses, kissing him deeply and embracing him tightly. Surrounding herself with him. "Me, too."

...

**A/N: Liked it, I hope? Thanks for reading! ;)**


	17. Brother, Brother Pt 1

**Title:** Brother, Brother Pt. 1

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (implied sensuality and language)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Howdy! Glad to be back! Hope you're happy for a brand new update that I'm about to give you. And hey, did everyone just love this week's episode? I mean, COME ON! Josh's words! They held hands and when she tried to retreat, he took it back! HE TOOK IT BACK! Anyway, sorry, I just still can't stop thinking about that scene and also, yeah, the fact the conference was in Santa Fe – many moons after I started writing this – was just the cheese whiz on top of the cracker, wasn't it? ;) I mean, of ALL places. Oh! And I took a line from the new episode of New Girl and put it in this chapter. See if you can spot it.

**Disclaimer:** None. Not here. Not now.

…..

There's a lot of things Mindy starts learning about Danny the more and more she falls into a relationship with him and yeah, it's not like she didn't know enough already because she did and it's just like, they're going out now and it's really very funny how much she doesn't know and is just starting to.

He's _crazy_ good at sex!

Now, she already knows this. Is glad she knows this. But, _oh man_, it's like it keeps getting better each time they sleep together. He's everything that might otherwise contradict itself when he's in bed with her.

He's gentle.

(Well, _sometimes_. If she cries his name or claws at his back or arches her body in a certain fashion, she does end up paying for it in the most _delicious_ way.)

He's rough.

(See_ above_.)

He's vocal.

(Not like, a _loud_ vocal but, very much man-vocal. Like with grunts and growling and making deep humming sounds when they kiss and _god_, it's not like she hasn't been with someone who has enjoyed sleeping with her but, wow, he's just really, really into her. Like, really.)

He prefers whole beans to pre-ground when it comes to his coffee.

(Which makes his coffee a lot better than hers and all fresh and good and it fills her with a warmth that goes_ all_ the way to her bones on mornings after she spends the night at his place, hair sticking out at odd angles on her head and face contorting widely as she yawns into her palm, stumbling towards him as he greets her with his crooked grin and a kiss on the cheek.)

He's sweet.

Like _secretly_ sweet.

Like _don't-tell-anyone-who-knows-me-as-a-hardass_ sweet.

And, like, here's what happens to prove that completely:

She's alone in the breakroom, dozing on the couch, her head aching and eyes puffy from crying after an hours long, difficult delivery in which she almost loses both her patient and the baby.

She hates those.

She's a doctor who brings babies into the world. She should know, by now, that these things can happen. That something can go wrong.

Either way, it still affects her. In a bad way. Which is not that good because it's one of an amalgamom of reasons why people look at her and don't see a doctor.

She's too emotional. She takes things to heart. She still feels horrible if she almost loses someone in the operating room. She just can't help herself. It's just how it is and how _she_ is.

But, it ends up okay in the end and she smiles tiredly even as her eyes are closing when she remembers the happy sobs of the Laders as they held their new child, thanking her profusely for bringing her to them.

The thoughts of the delivery and if she's gonna see a certain co-worker/boyfriend later filters through her mind when her brain goes fuzzy and everything goes black.

Pressure. Soft, barely there pressure on her lips is what ends up stirring her.

That and the presence of someone surrounding her. Said presence smelling like hospital hand soap and man musk.

"Mmph!" Her first instinct is to flail and hit the person with one of her hands and as whoever-it-is moves away in the slight darkness, she hears:

"Ouch!"

_Okay, wait, that sounds familiar._

She fumbles around for her fallen glasses and when she does and turns on the side lamp, her suspicions are confirmed as she sees Danny rubbing at the back of his head and glaring at the floor. "Danny! What the hell were you doing?!"

"Jesus, fuck, that hurt!"

"Well, you scared the crap outta me!"

"Sorry." He grumbles under his breath, although she hears him fine. "You just.."

"I just what?!"

"You looked..." He avoids her eyes, looking everywhere but, her. "You looked sweet."

_Huh?_ "What?"

"I walked in here and I saw you." He looks at her sheepishly and her heart flutters lightly in her chest. "You seemed peaceful. I just... I couldn't help myself and acted on, you know, impulse." He face is a bit red, she notes with mild amusement and he seems embarrassed at his behaviour. Like giving her a kiss while she's napping is someting that baffles him.

Whatever the case may be, her chest un-tightens at the thought that he would see her dozed off and his first impulse would be to lay a gesture of affection on her.

_That's sweet._ "Danny, that's really sweet of you." She says after a beat, feeling her lips split into a wide grin.

His next statement proves he obviously thinks otherwise.

"Or creepy." He shrugs a shoulder with a side-glance to the vending machine before heading there finally looking in her direction and indicating towards it. "Want a snack?"

And just like that the conversation is over and a bit later, as she lays on his chest, his arm around her, while snacking on chips and they both watch You've Got Mail - him, surprisingly, _without_ a single complaint - she sighs and snuggles deeper into him and thinks, _My boyfriend's a big ol' softie sweetheart._

...

Danny Castellano has to know sometimes that family has a way of having horrific timing even when everything is going perfectly and honestly, he really should know better but, to be fair, he's way too busy focusing on Mindy as she writhes and moans beneathe him while clutching her bed sheets in a vice as he does everything he can to bring her to the edge.

He's doing just that when a slight crash is heard outside her bedroom door.

And they freeze.

Mid-coitus.

"What are you doing?" She asks in a stage whisper as he immediately gets into action and grabs the baseball bat he'd placed under her bed a few sleepovers ago and heads to her door to open it.

They hear a few more bumping sounds as he answers in the same whisper without looking at her. "What do you think?"

He hears more noise in the direction of her kitchen and a little shuffling behind him. "Well, put on pants at least."

"Seriuosly, babe, who gives a fuck?! There could be a burglar in your kitchen!"

"Um, well, you're still kinda... uh..."

"What?" He finally looks at her quickly to see her making gestues to his anatomy and peaks down at himself to see his soldier still in _mid_-salute.

His eyes find her again and he gives her a nice, long stare as she sits up in bed, perfectly dischevelled and lovely, raven locks tousled over her naked shoulders, fingers clutching the bedsheets once more - only now to cover her breasts instead of tearing at them in ecstasy like minutes before - the lighting in the room giving her a glow that makes her seem both angelic _and_ devilishly tempting.

He exhales sharply and tightens his grip on the bat, translating every bit of fustration he has at not being able to finish what they started as he takes in the sight of her into his voice. "Well, who's fault is that?"

She gasps and actually has the audacity to look offended. "Excuse me?!"

"Just..." He gestures to her and around the room. "Just stay here. I don't wanna have to kill anyone because they've seen my woman naked, okay?"

He winces as a pillow hits him in the back of the head on the way out.

He's careful and quiet as he walks, bat firm in his grip and it's only a few steps before he spots someone hovering into Mindy's refrigerater.

"Hey!"

The figure jolts up and screams loudly. "Ahh!" And a bag of chips comes flying at his head, to which he tries and fails to duck from.

"Ahhh!"

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Why are you naked?!"

"Who are you?!"

"Put on pants, man!"

"Answer me, goddammit!"

"Seriously, dude, why are you naked?!"

"What the hell is going on here?"

Suddenly, a light is turned on and he turns to find Mindy at his side, wearing his pale blue button-up, before looking in front of him to find a skinny, dark-complected, young guy who, in the new light, looks kinda familiar.

"Rishi!" She exclaims. "What are you doing, sneaking into my apartment in the middle of the night?"

"I was getting food! What are you doing with a naked man in your apartment?!" The kid gives him a sharp, accusing glare before looking back at her and before he could think to cover up, a pillow is pushed into his hands and he turns to find Mindy giving him a look like_ oh, now you're embarrassed_ as he places it on his junk.

"You could've called!"

"Don't change the subject!"

"Rishi!"

"Mindy!" The kid mocks.

"Ugh! God, fine." She makes a gesture between them. "Danny, meet my kid brother, Rishi. Rishi, this is-"

"I'm her boyfriend." He supplies before she could finish and he feels her eyes on him again as he pops his chin out in greeting. "Danny Castellano. How's it going?"

"Rishi." The younger man nods back. "Prize hog, man." He nods at his covered business casually and Danny, as a full-grown man, goes a _bit_ red.

"Okay, now we've taken care of introductions, you..." She points to her brother. "...clean up my kitchen. And you..." She turns to him fully. "...pants. I'll be in there in a bit." She pecks him on the cheek before sending him on his way and he high-tails it out of there, folding her pillow all around himself to cover his ass with at least _some_ dignity.

As he heads back into the bedroom, Danny smirks to himself as he hears behind him:

"So that's the new guy you're doing?"

"Rishi!"

...

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Sorry about the long! And also, the image of Mindy in Danny's blue shirt in this chapter was inspired by the scene of an earlier episode when she's wearing Josh-something-asshole's button-down and I always thought Mindy Kaling looked really pretty in that scene and it birthed her look here.**

**Also, if you have any other ideas of a look from the show that she should wear here in the story, let me know. :)**


	18. Brother, Brother Pt 2

**Title:** Brother, Brother Pt. 2

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating: **T (language)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Notes:** Okay! So, it's been a weird week for me and I'm pretty sure that a little ol' writing will take my mind off everything occurring at the moment, as it tends to do. I love you guys and how patient you've been, waiting on my updates and what not because that's what you guys do and that is why I adore each and every one of you! ;) Also, just saw the recent episode. *gapes* Did Chris Messina look great or what?! Holy shit, I almost drooled!

**Disclaimer:** Own nothing but, me, myself, and I!

…

Following the _disaster_ of a first meeting where Danny first encounters his girlfriend's brother, he hobbles back to her bedroom and finds his pajama pants at the foot of the bed, a chuckle escaping him as he remembers _how_ they got there.

(This wouldn't be the _first_ time an odd moment has occurred for him in relationships but, it _is_ the first time he's ever met a family member literally with _his dick_ hanging and a bat in his fucking hands with the intent to kill _whoever_ interrupted him in mid-sexual activity with said girlfriend.

Nevermind, the fact he now has actually pants up and_ face_ that family member.

Nevermind, the fact that it's her brother.

Nevermind, the fact that's it's the middle of the night and he really would rather be making love to his woman and then falling asleep with her than taking part in a family reunion.

And nevermind, the fact that he would much rather be faced with this type of situation a little more _down_ the road than right now.)

He's putting on his shirt again as he hears the clicking of the door behind him and he turns around to see Mindy walking in, padding in with her slippers and _his_ button-up still on.

"That wasn't my finest moment, was it?"

She gives him one of her _looks_. Those sweet, warm, reassuring looks he always keeps close in memory when he's thinking about things better than sports, pastrami, and _sunlight_. "It wasn't that bad."

When he gives her _his_ look, she instantly reiterates, the warmth still all over her expression. "Okay, it was pretty bad. Having you butt-naked when you first meet a member of my family wasn't exactly the way I'd imagined." She admits, tugging at his t-shirt and bringing him closer. "But, at least you met him."

"Hmm." He hums as she leans up to kiss him, caressing and light, before pulling away with a light peck.

"Just keep it PG for when you meet my parents, okay?" She teases him, snuggling into his arms.

He just chuckles, pulling her close and ignoring the feeling that he should be freaking out a little more at that comment, instead focusing the tidbit that it reveals: That she sees them going for the long hall.

That she sees something of a future with them, that she would be comfortable enough saying that, even in a joking fashion.

The same way he does.

The same way he wants.

And later as he holds her, her breath even in slumber, he also thinks about how he'll be able to adequately express how she's making him feel with everything she's giving him.

...

It's not likely that Mindy hasn't seen something that what is front of her right now but, yeah, it's pretty damn close: Mainly the sight being that of Danny at her stove, making more pancakes and her kid brother stationed at her kitchen island, gobbling down said pancakes and scrambled eggs and suddenly, she is all too pleased that she's gotten into the habit regular grocery shopping since her cook of a boyfriend has started spending nights at her place more often.

"Dude, this is fucking awesome, man!" Rishi exclaims loudly as she sits down next to him.

"No problem." Danny responses, turning his head with that half-smirk she loves so much.

She smiles at him as he heads her way with a plate of breakfast, setting it in front of her, and kissing her briefly before going back to the stove.

With his back turned, he doesn't hear Rishi lean over to her and whisper. "Choice dude, sis. For once." And her smacking at him, despite the wide, toothy grin emerging on her face and it being so large that it nearly splits her lips in half.

Of course, her brother fights back like a pre-teen girl and by the time Danny is turning back around, they immediately stop their antics and are again paying attention to their food and she is elated to find that her pancakes contain large, juicy strawberries.

"Babe, this delicious! And my favorite!"

"I know." He says with a shrug as he sits down at the other side of her with his plate that is unsurprisingly bereft of pancakes and only has two pieces of toast, egg whites, and two links of sausage.

A few seconds into their meal, a phone sounds out and when it turns out that it belongs to Danny, he briefly leaves to answer it and returns a few minutes later with his face looking a cross between surprised and grumpy.

"What?"

"My brother's coming to visit."

"Richie?" She knows of his brother from a few, rare instances in the past where he would mention something personal (_or_ she would just irritate him enough for him to speak up, give or take) and even more so now that they've gotten together and the former rarity slowly starts becoming common place.

"Yup. That's the one." He answers curtly before going at his eggs like he has a grudge against them.

Exhaling sharply, she turns to her brother and says softly. "Rishi, could you-?" She makes a _shoo_ gesture and of course, it takes him a minute to really get it and after she gives her most severe glare, he's off, collecting his plate and orange juice before disappearing into the living room.

When it's just the two of them, she turns back to boyfriend with determination. "Danny..." She begins slowly, working out the words in her mind enough for them to come out of her mouth. "... Is there anything we need to talk about?"

She has no idea what she's doing. Sure, she's been concerned about men in the past but, she also remembers one ex telling her that she has a bad habit of ignoring things that have nothing to do with her.

She snorted at him when he'd said that but, looking at it now, she realizes the differences between her past boyfriends and her current relationship.

That and she really wants to know about what's going on with his brother.

She knows that he hasn't seen Richie in a long while due to the fact that he cut him off financially because he had started slacking off in college so, God knows what could he want now.

"I don't know." He sighs after a minute, staring at her wall. "He said something about wanting to see me and see how my life is and that he's sorry about being a fucking idiot last time we saw each other." He finishes with a frown, the grumpiness hitting an all-time high.

"Do you wanna see him?"

"Maybe." He shrugs, taking a sip of his black coffee and picking up their dishes to the sink. "It could be fun to see what the little prick would want to say to me."

"Danny."

"What? It's true. Richie never visits or calls without wanting something." She could see by the set of his shoulders that he's scrubbing furiously at a probably already clean dish. "Hopefully, it's just money and we can just be done with it."

Mindy sighs.

This might just be the _strangest_ start to a week.

...

**A/N: Okay, I was planning on introducing Richie here but, well, I'm still working on how exactly I'm gonna do that so, hopefully, this is enough to tide you over for a little bit. Thanks for reading! ;)**


	19. Brother, Brother Pt 3

**Title:** Brother, Brother Pt. 3

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (language)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Hope you all enjoy my new update! Season finale's coming and to be honest, I'm scared (well, more of _New Girl_ than _Mindy Project_ but, the fear is there!). I've pretty kept away from anything that would _accidently_ give me spoilers with the exception of one link that brought me to a short, vague description of what's gonna go on, which made even_ more_ fearful _and_ even more anxious. Hmm… dramatic much?

**Disclaimer:** I don't have a lock on any of this!

…..

Despite having now dated Danny Castellano for the past, one might say, _several_ months and that combined with her already five-year association with him (professional and _slightly_ otherwise), Mindy would think that she would _kinda_ recognize the young man leaning over reception and flirting with a stuttering and _clearly_ uncomfortable Betsy.

(It's been a few weeks since Rishi had all but, moved to her place - spring break and all - and basically forced her hand to spend _'date/sex/staying in'_ nights at Danny's. Not that she complains or anything. His apartment is a beautiful place to stay. His bed is big and comfy. His kitchen has more food than hers. And he bought her a _teamaker_ - he says he accidently got it during grocery shopping but, she _knows_ different and knows that this particular one is only available online. And also shower sex is just _soo_ much better in his than in hers.

They _do_ try. A whole lot of bruising ensues.)

Anyway, back to the guy. The guy she _should_ know. At least a little bit.

(But, she _doesn't_ . Not even a _little_ bit. The thick, black hair and familiar facial features don't hit her at all even from her standpoint.)

"Can I help you?" She asks after walking up to him because she_ loves_ meeting new people that come through the practice doors.

(No. Seriously. She _does_.)

The young guy's attention is immediately on her and way from Betsy – who gives her a grateful look and quickly _scadaddles_ away – and when he gives her an appraising, blatant once over, it grates her nerves in a way that is _truly_ extraordinary. "I don't know. _Can_ you?"

(OK. So, the Staten Island accent _should_ have been a major tip-off but, she finds herself too busy gaping at the kid and boiling in annoyance at his flirtation that she doesn't have the foresight then to compare him to a_ certain_ doctor in the office so,_ forgive_ her.)

Then, her wits re-emerges with an audible snap and she comes back with. "I work here so, yes, I can." And yeah, she _does_ put her hand on her hip. So, what?

He actually fucking_ laughs_ at her. "Okay, sweetness. No need to get crabby." He replies mockingly, leaning against the reception desk with a cocky air that irks her even more.

Her temper shoots through the roof like in a thermometer and she herself give an _ugh_ sound. "First of all, _don't_ call me sweetness because it's gross and inaccurate..." He opens his mouth to speak but, she tramples all over what he is about to say. "... And I do NOT get crabby. I get endearingly angry and sassy."

"Yeah, I bet you do." He says with appreciation, giving her another once-over. "Yeah, I bet you can do a lotta things."

_Prick._ "Listen, you little shi-"

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Her head whips over to see Danny standing at his office doors, a scowl painted on his face and his arms crossed over his chest sternly. A posture/expression combo she's_ soo_ used to being directed at her - except for the actual _swearing_; he doesn't swear around the practice or at _her_ really - that she starts to open her mouth to defend herself only to realize something crucial:

He's not even looking at her. No. He's giving that specific evil-eye to the young buck _moron_ next to her.

"Hey, bro. How's it hangin'?" The kid in question says as a response.

Mindy heads whips once more to the younger guy this time and then back to her boyfriend, then back again, her mind hurting with the possibilities-

_Couldn't be! Couldn't possibly! He just can't be-_

_But, they look alike, don't they-_

"Richie, you little son of a bitch, I told you to meet me at my place!" Danny nearly yells which makes - who she _now_ knows to be his brother - flinch for the very first time she's seen.

_Oh, shit._

"My office. Now!"

Richie - _God_, _that_ feels weird gestating in her mouth - does what he's told and she is about to head in the other direction to her own office when she hears Danny behind her.

"Mindy."

She turns back around to find him looking her expectedly.

"Do you wanna-?" He gestures behind him to his office.

She cocks an eyebrow like _excuse me?_ and he only has to tilt his head at her, the command still in his eyes now blurring with something softer, _sweeter_, and just like that - _goddamn_ her - she caves and walks past him and into his office.

Richie is in Danny's chair behind his desk, his legs on_ top of_ said desk and she wants to make a joke about Danny being more lenient towards family but, then the man in question makes a_ tsk_ sound and _shoo_ gesture. "Get the fuck up and out of my chair."

With a mock pout, the younger man gets up just as his older brother rounds the desk and for the first time, Mindy sees the two near each other and immediately her mind starts zeroing on their resemblances.

Richie is longer, thinner - one might say to compliment, _sleeker_ but, she won't _soo_ - and his casual dressing of jeans and a t-shirt show that off to Danny's work-appropriate attire of button-down and _nicer_ pants that emphasize his more muscular, broader frame.

Besides that, he may as well be Danny's twin. Same looking hair, light olive skin, lips (though, unlike when she's looking at her boyfriend, she has no urge to make out with him) and - yeah, she just has to notice this because it's, in the most base sense, one of her favorite parts of Danny's face - they have the same jaw, though Richie's facial structure is still round and the effect is subtle whereas Danny's is lined and sculpted - attractively - with age and stapled with day old stubble.

(Their eyes are different, though. She was close enough outside to Richie to now note that he has lighter, hazel eyes to Danny's deep, soulful brown.)

Richie walks in front of his older brother's desk.

"Please, sit."

When he goes to sit down, Danny barks-

"No! Not you. You can stand. I'm talking to her. She can sit."

When he gives his_ look_, she takes a seat, the younger Castellano standing next to her chair and she's starting to get the feeling of being one of those fancy objects in a room - there and present but, unspeaking.

"Okay." Danny makes himself comfortable behind his desk, folding his fingers across his chest, eyes on his sibling. "What do you want?"

Richie seems to sputter for a minute before replying. "I don't-"

"Yes, you do. There's always something you want so, out with it."

"I don't want anything!"

"Yeah." Danny shakes his head slowly. "I don't think so." He rummages through his pockets for a bit and out comes his wallet. "A hundred okay? Make it easier for you not to steal from me like last time?" He asks with a snarl.

"Come on, man-"

"Not enough, I got ya." He grabs more bills from his wallet. "How about two?"

"Danny!" This time it's her that's speaking up incredulously because he's being kind of impossible and mean to his brother.

(Then, again, she can be that way with Rishi sometimes. Then, again, she doesn't hold grudges against him. And then, again, Rishi never stole money from her.)

"What?" He looks at her like he forgot she's still in the room.

"Just-" She gestures towards Richie with her head, trying to indicate that he should talk to him instead of being... well, the way he _was_ with _her_ months ago and then some.

His jaw clenches and he looks away, heaving out a large sigh as he does, the exhalation causing his shoulders to collapse.

When he looks back again, his gaze is on her and the expression in them is a cross between gratitude and... something _else_ that causes her pulse to spike through the roof and _wow_, this is _really_ inappropriate with his brother right there!

His eyes change then and shift towards Richie, who now looks sheepish and a little unsure. A complete contrast to the attitude and _devil-may-care_ confidence he had before.

As far as she can tell.

"Meet me at my place, Rich. We'll talk then."

"Thanks so much, man-"

"Just... Just go."

Richie nods quietly and with another nod to her, he's out.

Mindy looks over at her boyfriend and she could just swear Danny looks much older than he did five minutes ago and her heart pinches in apology for the strain this visit is already getting him into. "Sorry."

He looks up from rubbing the corners of his eyes. "For what?"

"For your brother." She says simply, feeling a gentle smile forming on her lips, trying to convey to him how much she feels for him.

He lets loose a small chuckle through an exhale and her own stomach untightens at the obvious sign of levity. "I know."

She takes a minute before saying what she does next."He's kind of douche-y."

"Oh, you have no idea."

...

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! :) I laugh because I honestly thought this whole was gonna be finished by the end of spring breaker simply because of the long three weeks but, I realized that I needed new episodes from the show in order to be inspired (though I was watching _fanvideos_ in my spare time here and got ideas for this chapter soo...) and yeah, that's why this has been slow-going in recent weeks and very sorry about that! ;)**

**Also, you can thank_ quisinart4_ (one of my fave readers!) for the whole description of Richie as well as the whole of Tumblr for bringing it up to begin with. :)**


	20. Making Up For Lost Time

**Title:** Making Up For Lost Time

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (language)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Soo… How about that finale?! Ahhhhh! That last scene, right? _Jeeesus_, I lost it! Even my mom looked at me and said, _"Did you see that?"_ And, of course, I responded with, _"Yeah, I did! How could I not?!"_ And well, as you can probably tell, I went a little nuts. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I'm not gonna go.

...

"Richie!" Danny yells as he steps inside his apartment, the door kicking closed behind him, his messenger bag slung onto his coat rack and his keys being tossed into his key bowl before fully stepping into the place he called home.

"Richie!"

(He remembers fully intending to have Mindy with him when he goes home and cursing the late surgery he knows she has scheduled and her kissing him apologetically before changing into her scrubs, batting his hands away as he touches her because she _cannot_ think about _that_ whilst she's delivering babies and yeah, sue him as he grunts in disappointment while watching her lovely curves disappearing under hospital issue powder blue.

Hmm... He may _or_ may not have a weird, sick obsession with his girlfriend.

Is it unusual? Yeah.

Does he care? Nah-uh.)

"Yo." Richie appears from behind the corner of what Danny knows to be his kitchen and it's then that he realizes there's a smell hanging in the air of his apartment and it is similar to the pungent fragrance of cooking food and the dish towel in his brother's hands is a _dead_ give-away.

"Did you order something?" He asks because if what's happening here is what he thinks it is then, hell has just frozen over and he is living in the land of a post-apocalypse.

(Good Christ, now he's _thinking_ like Mindy!)

"No." His baby brother shrugs off the question, wiping his hands on the dish towel. "Just whipping somethin' up for my big bro." He answers, the Castellano grin widening his face and reminding Danny of a time when he and his younger sibling were more friends than enemies.

_Yeah, those were the days, huh?_

He elbows his brother aside, walking over to the area where is steam is wafting along with the accusatory smell.

"It actually smells good. What'cha making?"

"Grandma's Famous Bolognese." The younger man responses with a flourish, tossing his dish towel and heading towards what he can safely assume to be a simmering sauce.

He gapes at him before remembering to shut his trap, shaking his head. "Grandma taught _you_ to make _her_ bolognese?" He asks slowly after a minute, his mind reeling.

Richie pauses and turns around, a guilty look that Danny knows all _too well_ in his eyes. "Yes?" He says, the pronounciation like a question of his own.

"Are you serious? I knew it!" He yells accusingly, pointing an actual finger at his brother. "I knew you were her favorite! I fucking knew that witch hated me!"

"Maybe it's because you called her a witch in the first place."

He gives him a look like,_ no shit_. "Says the guy who got a big birthday gift from her AFTER you wrecked Ma's car instead of the guy..." He gestures towards himself. "... who mowed her damn lawn for a whole summer. Goddammit." He finishes, slumping on one of his kitchen stools.

After a long moment of hearing Richie titter-tatter around his kitchen - searching for things Danny has _no_ interest in helping him find - he thinks about Mindy. The different expressions of her face. The dark, beautiful sparks of her eyes. The way she appears in her many outfits - shallow, yes, but _well_. The way she smiles. The way she smells. The way she looks at him in the many, variable scenarios their relationship has already gone through.

(Oh, the random places his mind goes because of this woman.)

"Richie?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you want?" He asks, rubbing that troublesome spot between his eyes much like he had this afternoon.

He looks up to see the younger Castellano turning again to look at him with an almost bashful expression that nearly causes him to feel bad that he's not giving his brother the benefit of the doubt.

Nearly.

"I..." He sounds the letter out in a way that brings more color to Danny's headache. "I wanted to visit you. I wanted to make up for being an ass last time-"

"Rich-" He rubs a hand over his face, stress migraine coming fast.

"No. Listen." He walks forward a bit, hands stuffed in his pockets. "I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry I wasted everybody's time with school. I'm sorry I-"

"Stole my money-"

"-Stole your money and you know, everything. I just wanted to... make up for lost time." He finishes, the expression written on his younger face reminding Danny again of years before when he was the smaller kid who looked up to him and full of promise and fraternal affection.

He has no idea what he's doing. Has no inkling that he should trust a member of his own flesh and blood.

"Danny?"

He tries, anyway.

"Okay."

...

As per usual for the past few weeks, Mindy comes to his place and he smiles at her as she quietly kicks off her shoes, whispering an apology as one of them thump particular hard on the floor, her head whipping towards his guest bedroom.

"It's cool." He says, not bothering to lower his voice. "Sleeps like the dead, that one."

After she changes into comfy sweats and following a brief argument over what to watch on TV, they settle on Breakfast At Tiffany's because Mindy adores the fasion and style while Danny can appreciate George Peppard's gruff, cool appeal and the contrast it plays towards the zest and zeal of the woman he's crazy about and like a shot, it reminds him of something.

Like most other times when they're like this, he's got Mindy cuddling against him, knees pressed to her chest as she stares at the television, her pretty face shifting between many expressions of emotion to reflect the flunctuating life of Holly Golightly on the tiny screen.

Holly is singing Moon River in front of him as he keeps his attention to the woman at his side.

His eyes rove over her. The sweater she's wearing is a deep blue color with yellow stars all over it, the material feeling fuzzy and oddly cozy pressed into the thin cotton of his shirt and the tiny strap of her sports bra is poking through at her shoulder, her black sweatpants matching her socks and the moment feels _soo_ damn good it's simultaneously awesome _and_ cheesy and she's perfect and he has this insane, reckless urge to tell her he loves her.

(Which is ridiculous because she's quite literally one the most imperfect people he's ever met and really, he shoulda seen this all coming but, it's a shock to his system all the same.)

"What?" She turns her eyes from the screen to his face.

"Huh?" He responses intelligently because he's an idiot who can spout poetic about wanting to be with someone the first time out yet when real, honest-to-God love enters the equation, he's just - _gah_, he's stupid!

"You're staring at me." She says simply, a teasing tone in her voice and a smile on her lips that makes his heart bounce up and down and shout, _"Heeey! It's nice to meet_ _you! I'm your new bitch!"_

_Oh, Christ._

"It, uh... It's... Tea?"

She looks at him like he's lost his mind (which, considering, may not be far from the truth). "What?"

"Tea?" He repeats more coherently, jutting his chinly dumbly towards the teammaker in his kitchen. "You want some more tea?" He doesn't wait for a response before scrambling off the couch. "I'll get you some more tea."

As he walks towards the kitchen, Danny doesn't even need to turn around to see that her confused eyes are on him.

...

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! :) The outfit that Mindy's wearing on the couch here is something she wore in the Halloween episode of the show (the part where she kicks out a stray cat after accidently petting it). Just thought it was adorable and something she'd wear cuddling at home with Danny. Hope _you_ liked it, too. :)**


	21. All's Unfair In Love & Curry

**Title:** All's Unfair In Love & Curry

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (for language mostly)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Good day, all! Happy to be editing and giving you guys some more story. I've been a little lazy about this story and apologize for that as I have no excuse for said laziness and am doubly sorry you had to wait the long while that you did and as such, hope you enjoy!

P.S. Be forewarned, I know nothing of Indian food, only what I've looked up and the few time I have enjoyed curry salad. Which is delicious, by the way and I beg you guys to try it if you're into spicy foods and/or Indian faire. Anyway, read on!

**Disclaimer:** What'cha gonna do? *makes weird ghetto gesture*

…

"What smells so good?" Danny asks, upon coming home to the smell of spices and cooking food, the fragrance forcing his feet towards his kitchen, the scent only slightly familiar and making the emptiness in his belly all that more known.

He finds Mindy at his stove, stirring something around in a pot and his hunger spikes as he comes closer and recognizes the smell of simmering spices, his heart warming as he notices his girlfriend wearing his Columbia sweatshirt that she barely fits into, the material falling off her shoulder and bunched over her forearma as she cooks.

(A skill he had no idea she even has. Most times when there's cooking involved, it's him doing the cooking and most occasions when she looks at time, a gleam in her eye, and jokes about paying him back with a little something, it usually means sex and he'd never _dreamed_ that she would actually make him a home-cooked meal at his apartment.

Oh yeah _and_ he's in love with her so, _this_ whole thing here is close to giving him a conniption fit.)

"Indian, huh?" He asks, placing a hand on her back as she leans back and kisses him in greeting.

"Don't be racist." She admonishes before shrugging. "But, yeah."

He chuckles, taking the bite of food she offers him from the cooking pot and then humming at the taste of it. "That's good. What is it?"

"My mother's curry chicken." She responses, stirring again for a bit before reaching to turn off the burner.

He sets up the table, placing the plates and utencils over the doilies, the smell of spices, curries and coconut milk hanging in the air, he remembers her insisting on buying when they make a trip to the store a few days before _("They're red and checkered, Danny!"_ _"Red. And. Checkered."_) and his rolling his eyes even though the heart inside him starts beating a hundreds beats a minute at the thought of her placing her own little touches in _his_ home.

"How was your day?" She asks, sipping at her glass of wine.

(This is different, he realizes. Even in the better beginnings of his marriage, he never remembers his ex-wife treating him like this. _Cooking_ for him._ Asking_ about his day. Chatting away about _her_ day, _her_ work. Not his. _Her_ assignments. Not his deliveries. _Her_ photographs. Not his patients.

_Her_ world. _Never_ his.)

"It was alright. I delivered Mrs. Rotson today."

"Mmm." She smiles, wide and genuine. "I like her, she's sweet. Could you pass the chicken, please?"

"Sure." He carefully slides over the steaming bowl of food. "How was yours?"

"I got a call from my parents today."

He sits back and listens to her talk about what she spoke about with her parents. About how she has a mild argument with her mother concerning her career and life in New York (despite her _pride_ that she could achieve that). About her more civil talk with her father and ending up helping him use the internet over the phone even though it's 2013 and _for the love of God, Dad, you shouldn't have waited this long!_

And yeah, she mentions that Rishi has given them both a call (their mother first, of course) and _tattles_ on Mindy about her new relationship.

"Didn't you say once that it's _not tattling, it's whistleblowing_?" He teases her before taking a large bite of his delicious food.

His girlfriend sure knows how to cook and he finds it amazing that this far into the relationship that she could still _surprise_ him so much.

"No." She answers him slowly. "I said when a _hot woman does it, it's called whistleblowing_." She winks at him saucily. "_Your_ hot woman if I recall correctly."

He laughs through a mouthful of food because she _could_ not be more right and he adores her and is_ fucking_ in love and-

"What are you doing?" He asks, watching her take a small, _startlingly_ red curry from her plate and place the _whole_ damn thing in her mouth, chew on it without flinching, and then _swallows_ it, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What?" She responses a moment later, cluelessly.

He gapes at her. "You just-!" He gestured ackwardly at her plate, hoping to make his point clear.

She takes a minute but, finally gets it. "Oh." She says, giggling into her wine glass. "You didn't think I gew up on granola, did you?"

He stares at her for a short while, wondering for the hundredth time how much he could love someone this much after everything he's gone through but, it's Mindy and she's amazing and all his and he just _cannot_ believe his luck-

"You should try one." She gestures towards his plate and the gleaming, green curry hanging back and _all_ alone to the side of his plate, away from his chicken.

He immediately shakes his head, thoughts of adoration put on hold for the moment. "No."

"Oh, come on, Danny!" She exclaims, eyes bright in his direction. "Live a little. Man up, come on."

If she's trying to poke at his masculine pride, it's working. "I've always been a man." He fires a back with a touch of ire and warning. "And you _know_ that." He adds with a slow, lazy wink that he knows for _sure_ will light a fuse in her bloodstream.

If she's affected in any way, she doesn't let on and instead stares at him, eyes narrowing at the edges, the expression nit-picking at his inner courage like it normally would, eating at him with a combination of annoyance and the newfound pluck that is his love for her.

"Okay. Fine." He gives in, grabbing the spicy devil from his plate and then - after some _mild_ hesitation - popping it into his mouth.

He braces himself for the horrid burn on his tongue after a few minutes and when it _does_ come, he finds himself holding back tears and grabbing at the edges of the table, his inner self calling him a pussy even though, _fuck_, he can't be blamed because _dammit, is that spicy_!

"Danny?" He heares her through the roar in his brain and the blur in his eyes. "Are you-? Are you crying?"

He shakes his head, turning his face away from her and coughing.

"Oh my God!"

...

Okay, so Mindy has no idea what Danny, her boyfriend extraordinair's deal is. Aside from his being grumpier and meaner than normal - to thers, not her - he seems a little... _off_. Giving her l_ooks_, like he's about to say something _super important_ but, then thinks _whatever_ and says something about take-out instead and it is really starting to drive her mad because he is doing it _all the time_.

But, not in a_ terrible_ way. In a more... _not terrible_ way.

In a somewhat _good_ way.

You see, here's the thing. The thing is... The. Thing. Is... She kinda, sorta _loves_ him.

You know, like she's really, _really_ in love with him in a _really_ big way.

And now that she knows it, it's pretty all she thinks about.

But, that's not the point, the point is she only realizes this when she's on the phone with Gwen one boring afternoon and it hits her like a thump in the forehead as she sits on her couch, cellphone cradled with one hand and picking lint off of her sweatpants with the other.

"So, you still coming to my dinner party on Saturday?"

She, at first, doesn't hear her best friend but, the words finally catch a few minutes later, she recovers quickly and answers casually. "Yeah, I'm still going."

But, then, she realizes how all _too easy_ it is to underestimate that pretty, bubbly blonde you once couldn't stand in college, even now that said blonde is your best friend and your second favorite person in the world (sometimes tying in first place with a _certain_ dark-haired, soulful-eyed beau you can't seem to stop thinking about even if you tried) and Gwen proves as much when she immediately retorts with. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She responses in a manner that's soo quick that even she cringes. "Nothing's wrong. Why would you-"

"Because I know you." Gwen interrupts calmly in the way only she can. "And because I _know_ you so, I think that suffices for right now so, you might as well tell me or I will torture by repeating the time Carl lost his erection-"

"I'm in love with Danny."

There's a long stretch of silence then, which causes her to realize what she's just admitted and that realization brings about a feeling she assumes is like an elephant sitting on her chest and panic creeps out like a sneaky bastard with an ugly, green goblin face and suddenly she needs her best friend again and calls out in a high voice. "Gwen? Gwen? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. What's the matter?"

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"Loud and clear."

"And you're asking what's wrong?!"

"Yes." There's another pause and it's followed by a cautious question. "Are... Is it bad? Is there something going on with you guys?"

"No!" She answers quickly and defensively then deflates just as fast. "I mean, he's been a little weird lately but, it's nothing... nothing we can't handle. He's just having his moments is all."

"Moments?"

"He's just been in bad moods. Like he has a lot on his mind, sort of thing."

A beat comes next and Mindy can just hear her friend thinking hard. "Have you guys talked?"

"No."

"Does he...?" There's hesitation and really, Mindy should see this coming. "Does he know you love him?"

She's not proud of this but, she _does_ flinch a bit at the questioning because the feeling is still raw and new and perculating inside her and _no one_ feels more like an idiot that she's saying everything she _should_ be saying to her boyfriend to another person, best friend or not. "No." She confesses softly, a newfound ache building in her heart to run to Danny and tell him exactly how much she loves him forming steadily. "No, I haven't said anything. We haven't seen each other a lot lately and when we do and I feel like I want to say something, I choke up and nothing comes out." Her voice cracks on the last words and she recognizes belatedly, to her horror, that she's close to tears, the urge to cry growing stronger even as she continues to speak candidly. "I love him so much, Gwen. Like it hurts. That's how much."

"I know, honey." Gwen's voice is soothing and placating in her ear and she starts balling in earnest.

"I just don't know." She hiccups in between sobs. "I just don't know what I.. If I told him and h-he... He didn't feel the same..."

By the time, she's through talking, Mindy's a mess, snot bubbles and salty tears everywhere, her inner most fears out in the open because she knows _for sure_ that if Danny Castellano not loving her back would be the be-all-end-all of relationship breakers of all time because she has been the one to fall first in the past and it fucking hurts like a mother when she recieves nothing back but, with Danny, it would just be...

God, it would break her. In the worst way possible. In the way that if she lost him, she _knows_ that she really does deserve to be alone.

...

**A/N: Look, I did not intend for this to end like this. And just so you know I did start tearing up a bit when I wrote the last half there so, when Mindy starts getting emotional, _I_ start getting emotional so, don't rant at me because if you feel the same, I get it. God, I'm such a girl!**

**Anyway, hoped you enjoy! And for clrification, there's no need to worry. You trust me, right?**


	22. When I Say I Love You, You Say

**Title:** When I Say I Love You, You Say…

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** T (language)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Well, here's another chapter. *scoffs* Sorry, I'm just… I've been off lately. Not that I've not been happy to do this story because you guys know I would gladly do this fic a number of times of the day if allowed. On the personal front, my world has been a jestating stew of confusion and frustration but, I gotta admit, this is one of the things that keep me from insanity and/or depression these days so, thank you for dealing with my laziness/oddities/quirks/procrastination and I want you to know how much I appreciate you all! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Not at all mine.

…...

Mindy, despite her promise to give her feelings time to sit and perk, ends up telling Danny she loves him a few short days after she confesses the very same thing to Gwen in her damn sweats and sheer panic running through her veins.

(She's still scared, by the way. Still _terrified_ beyond measure that if she says anything. That if she does, it could disinagrate everything. That she'll end up an old, sorry maid who still sobs at the thought of the doctor she once loved so much and her heartbreak and her-

Anyway, she'd be sad is what she's saying.)

He's behind her as she sits at her desk, fingers doing one of her favorite things where they play with the ends of her hair, his touch light and barely there even though, like with most things with him, she feels it all the way to her bones though he's still remaining professional as they both look over a chart of a couple having twins that they are going to do collaborate a delivery on.

And then he's leaning ever-so closely to her shoulder to get a better look and yeah, she can't stop thinking about anything but, her confession from a few days before and as his scent and breath wash over her, she finds she _can't_ take it anymore.

"I love you."

She's looking at him then. Has been for quite some time now. Following the line of his jaw and movement of his mouth as he talks to her, even though she hasn't heard a word he's been saying for the past twenty minutes. The way his big hands gesture around the air. The tiny sliver of skin she can plainly see peaking out of his shirt, thanks - and she _does_ thank, _a lot_ - to the few precious undone buttons on his grey shirt, nearly salivating at the tease even though she's seen this man naked too many times to count and yet still she's a bit turned on by him in a way that is almost embarassing, considering.

(She digresses.)

She's looking at him as she goes through the motions, nothing warning her before she becomes a total idiot and the words fall out of her mouth without her permission and she's still looking at him as he does a double take, eyes wide in shock, though she catches just a small second of this before her eyes shut in chagrin and her hands go to her face, muffling her groan of distaste for her stupidity.

"Mindy-"

"Oh my God."

"Honey-"

Oh God. He's calling her _honey_. They've been together long enough for her to know he only ever calls her honey when he's confused and/or has no idea what to do with something. But, now this something is her emotions and the pesky little thing she has for him called love and she's soo dumb and he's a fucking bastard for being at a lost now of all times-

She's gone and running like a crazy woman out of her office before she could stop herself, ignoring Danny's calls and Betsey's worried shout, her ears ringing and her blood roaring in her brain.

...

Mindy's not proud of the fact that she hides in the bathroom for the next hour, alternating between dabbing at her eyes and texting Gwen about her little mishap.

_From: Mindy_

_I TOLD HIM I LOVE HIM! CODE RED, BLONDIE!_

* * *

_3:05 pm_

_From: Gwen_

_You did what?! What happened?!_

* * *

_3:07 pm_

_From: Mindy_

_We were in the office and I just blurted it out!_

* * *

_3:09 pm_

_From: Gwen_

_Mindy! I thought you were gonna wait it out!_

* * *

_3:12 pm_

_From: Mindy_

_I was! He just looked and smelled soo good, I just couldn't stop myself! Oh, God, the way he looked at me! _

* * *

_3:15 pm_

_From: Gwen_

_Where are you now?_

* * *

_3:17 pm_

_From: Mindy_

_Hiding... in the bathroom._

* * *

_3:20 pm_

_From: Gwen_

_Mindy!_

* * *

Mindy frowns as she stares at the message on her phone before clicking about to end the conversation once for all because she literally cannot deal with this right now and the only reason she's texting Gwen is so that she can get fucking advice, not get berated for being stupid and impulsive. And mouthy. And _really-Mindy-you-always-think-before-you-fucking-s peak!_

It takes her another hour still to slip out of the bathroom and when she returns to the offices, her head down in embarrassment, Danny is nowhere to be found and she thinks she really _mucked_ things up now, didn't she?

_Good one, Lahiri. Running off is always a good idea. Thumps up!_

She frowns as she settles behind her desk and fels even more stupid because the man she loves is off being a great doctor and delivering babies probably putting her in the Looney Tunes category of crazy because she goes and runs off the moment she tells him exactly how she feels.

Okay, see, this is normally when she would get all _"the sky is falling"_ just because she has _this_ type of moment in a relationship, though, to be frank, she hasn't had a lot, of _these_ particular moments, that is. It's just - well, she's fallen for guys before (she thinks) but, not like _this_. Not like she wants to pull her hair out and break into happy sobs all at the same because she's a little less crazy than that.

(She has a moment in her mind right then. Of telling Tom she loves him as they're watching Clueless together and him doing so _without_ complaint. Her mouth going off without her permission. And then watching him with wide eyes as he falls silent before stammering out that he does, too. Literally, his exact response is, _"me, too"_ and she is far too happy and smiley to question that response.

He does end up leaving her a few months later for that war criminal wife of his-)

Oh, God.

Oh- oh, great. _Now_ is when she's realizing that her ex-idiot maybe didn't love her as much as she thought and not that it matters or anything but, dammit, she's _so_- What is happening? Now, she's gone and scared another one away.

She lets out a deep sigh as her face falls into her palm. What a mess.

Her moment of self-loathing is, of course, then interrupted by a timid knock at the door, which she knows to be-

"Come in, Betsey."

At her command, the receptionist walks in, clutching a tiny piece of paper in her hand and a shy smile on her face.

"Are you feeling okay, Dr. Lahiri?"

She looks up the younger woman through the fingers covering her eyes. "What is it?"

"I have a message from Dr. Castellano." Betsey slips the tiny paper onto her desk and Mindy tries not to eagerly grab at it like it holds state secrets because Betsey still right there and she can't draw anymore suspicion after earlier and it only after the girl leaves that she flips it and reads it.

_Not to be racist but, I'm bringing Indian tonight._

_And just so we're clear, I'm not freaked out, okay?_

_- Danny_

Not freaked out? Well, what the hell does that mean? What she supposed to do with _that_?

Her head hits her desk with a loud thump. What a day.

...

**A/N: So, this was supposed to be out yesterday but, I woke up and came downstairs to no internet so, there was that to look forward to. Also, don't hate me.**


	23. Life's A Dinner Party

**Title:** Life's A Dinner Party

**Author:** WriterGirl89

**Fandom:** Mindy Project

**Rating:** M (for language & sex)

**POV:** Third-Person

**Pairing:** Danny/Mindy

**Author's Note:** Please enjoy my new update because I'm really starting to miss this show and the characters and just, everything about it in general and you guys have been great waiting for me and deserve this so, read on, guys!

**Disclaimer:** I'm not under arrest!

…...

A week after her impromptu confession, Mindy finds herself sitting on her bed, tugging on her new favorite pair of heels and getting ready for Gwen's party, her mind cataloguing all that's changed in the past week.

She's told Danny she loves him.

She's admitted to being _in love_ with him.

(That same day, like his weird note promised, he _does_ indeed bring over Indian and between his kissing her hello on the cheek and licking spicy sauce off her fingers later, there seems to be an unspoken agreement that _yes_, she loves him and_ yes_, he knows it now and _no_, they will not have a big, drawn-out discussion because they're adults and there is really nothing else to say.

It never does occur to her until later as they're in bed next to each other and she lays there, very much awake, listening to his loud snores, that he wouldn't say say he loves her back.)

Now, she_ did_ admit to Gwen during that phonecall, she has thought he wouldn't love her back and would avoid saying as much but, well, it's just- He_ still_ hasn't said it back to her and she's starting to have the feeling that he's biding his time.

For what, she has no clue.

She just hopes it's not to break up with her.

She shrugs on her heel and gets up from the bed, turning and zipping up the back of her nude-colored, sparkly mini-dress, thinking that yeah, she does look hot and Danny is going to flip out and that she really wishes this isn't on the night she feels this unsure about herself.

_Dammit._

A grunt rips her attention away from her uncertain, sorry-faced reflection and there's Danny, standing at the doorway of her bedroom, a deep, clenched expression on his face that she is all-_too_-familiar with, her whole body blooming and tightening in response at the sight of him there, dressed to the _fucking_ nines in those damn slacks and dark button-up that she just wants to _rip off_!

They hold eyes for a while until the tension and silence eats at her so much that she opens her mouth to say something before he actually does it for her.

"You ready to go?" The voice in which he questions her is husky and rougher than she's ever heard before and well, there goes her panties for the night, right?

Mute for the moment and more than a little turned on, she feels herself nod before fixing her hair and then reaching for her purse.

They get to the dinner party almost thirty minutes under the wire and she gets very thankful that Gwen absolutely gets that her best friend is the only person arriving late because she lives in the city and would never in a million years move upstate for anybody, no matter who it is.

She sneaks a glance over at Danny, drinking a scotch with Carl and a few other men and at least looking like he's having a decent time and it's like, she wouldn't say never and she can't believe her life right now because Danny Castellano is actually, legitimately among the significant others of the women at this party as her significant other.

God, life is funny sometimes.

"Are you okay?"

She turns back to Gwen, her friend wearing a concerned expression that she wants to try to abate and wipe off.

Instead, she musters up a smile and sips at her champagne. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not." The blonde says, astute as ever, says back. "You look funny."

"Yes, I'm hilarious. It's nothing."

"It's something."

She sighs, knowing Gwen _all-to-well_ to underestimate her best friend's tenacity in getting the goods off of someone because she's great at it and if insistent questions don't work, she'll just _cut_ you.

Believe it. Mindy knows.

She takes a deep breath and plunges straight in. "I told Danny I love him-"

"Yes. I know this."

"-He hasn't said it back."

She would honestly be more amused by the cartoonish widening of her friend's eyes if not for the heartache-y, crappy feeling that curls inside her chest at the words coming out of her own mouth. "_Oooh_." Her best friend coos sympathetically. "I'm sorry. Are you alright? Is everything-"

"I don't know."

A comforting hand puts light pressure on her shoulder. "You'll figure something out."

And that is how she finds herself in Carl's weird-ass den, the light casting shadows to bounce off of different objects in the room and she's still thinking really, _really_ hard about Danny and feelings and her complete inability to read him for the first time in the relationship and she feels shitty, thinking that he may not love her but, is being invasive about admitting it or he may love her a little bit-

_Ugh! What a mess!_

And of course, it's _then_ that she hears-

"Mindy?"

...

It takes Danny between another scotch of courage and only half-listening to Carl's golf story (_"Yeah, Tiger's great... Right."_) to find Mindy because it's taken all his will-power for a good portion of the night to not whisk her off into one of, he is sure to be, many abandoned rooms to do dirty, _bad_ things to her because of that cocktail dress that he is almost certain is _designed_ to fuck his entire world up because that is _one_ of the many ways the universe goes against him where it concerns her because he is a _weak_ man when it comes to how beautiful she is and he really is a bastard for not telling her he loves her.

It's just that - it's just, he does not want to screw this up and telling her he loves her will be _it_. He'll never wanna let her go again and if that day comes when she's finally fed up with his inability to talk about things and his weird dandruff problem, then what? His heart will be broken beyond repair and hey, maybe he can move to Albuquerque and sell tacos out of a stand, put his medical training to _better_ use.

_Jesus. Wow, he really is starting to think like her._

So, he trots around Gwen and Carl's inappropriately large house and breathes a sigh of relief when he finds her in the den, his heart stopping at the sight of her. Shiny, dark hair. Glowing, smooth skin. That unknowably alluring, gorgeous fragrance lingering all around the room and up into his nostrils that he knows clings close to her flesh when he's near her and only gets better with time.

"Mindy?"

When her head turns to him with a start, he tries not to feel hurt by the flash of uncertainty in her eyes.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I'm..." She shakes her head like a drenched puppy and avoids his eye and he _knows_ she's about to lie to him. "... You know, the party was starting to get boring and that Melanie girl was really _not_ interested in dermatology-"

"Mindy."

She thankfully picks him up what he's putting down and ends her babbling before it could begin, those big eyes looking him with a question and he steps further into the room, closing and locking the door behind him because they are about to have a talk and it could either get messy or... _pleasant_.

He holds her eyes as he steps closer and when she nods a bit, the movement sharp and quick before getting from the couch and towards Carl's desk and props herself against it, he falters a little but, continues because their relationship is right now at literally a standstill and he has to tell her this and more importantly, have her _listen_ to him.

"We-" He starts before changing route. "- I need to talk to you."

He scratches the back of his head. "Remember what you told me last week?"

He's not sure but, he swears he hears her breath catch. "Yes." She ducks her head, suddenly, and away from his eyes again. "Yeah, I remember."

He holds her eyes for a moment and waits... but, when she says nothing, he speaks again. "Do you remember _exactly_ what you said to me?"

(Despite the understanding the week before, she hasn't said it again and though, a part of him gets that she might be scared of his reaction, the other, more prominent part that's still calling him a piece of shit with that damn, stupid note is taking precedence now.)

"Yeah."

"Say it."

"Why? I don't-"

"Yes, you do." He doesn't realize until just then that he's been walking closer to her until he's right in front of her. Close enough so that he can smell her perfume better. His urge to touch her stronger. "Just say it."

She shakes her head defiantly, though at their proximity he can see the deep blush of her skin. Her pupils dilating into the brown of her eyes. Her breathing - smelling of that _ridiculous_ cinnamon gum he _knows_ she carries around - uneven and shaky and _warm _near his face.

And when she does say it, after an entire week of not him not hearing it from her again, the affect it has on him is something he couldn't have, in his wildest dreams, foreseen.

Taking another shaky exhale of air, he watches as she levels her gaze with his, that brave, _oh so_ sexy spark that never fails to get him going present in her beautiful eyes. "I love you."

And with that, everything else he wants, _means_, to say is gone, chased away with the crashing of his lips against hers.

He loves her, he thinks in a haze as their lips tangle in a roughly passionate dance. He loves her _so_ goddamn much it's almost painful and that causes him to kiss her all that much more harder and when she pushes him off her with a, "wait, I'm not gonna-," he promptly tells her to _shut the fuck up_ and literally yanks her back into business.

(No, really, he actually say in a hoarse, almost-foreign-to-his-own-ears tone of voice, "shut the fuck up," because apparently he's having trouble right not being a dick because _his_ dick is hard as granite enough to cut glass and he's trying to prove a point here to this frustrating woman!)

They're kissing like they _argue_, he realizes. _This_ is the fight they are not having over her declaration of love and his poor reaction to it. This is the fight they're not having about his inability to properly tell her that he's in love with her like a normal, grown man instead of the emotionally stunted grump he actually is because he's feeling so much all at once for her that it's killing him to think he's actually hurt her with this.

"You are..." He murmurs roughly as he nips at her jaw, hands pawing every inch of her body. "...the most impossible woman I've ever been in love with." And when she tenses up, he doesn't miss it and runs his hands over her sides to soothe her despite his arousing treatment of her body and kisses her softly, sensually, the passion from before muted but, still present and with that distraction, sneaks a hand between their bodies, unbuttoning and unzipping himself all the while running another beneath that distracting, sparkly, leg-baring thing she happens to call a dress and his arousal is shot to new heights when he feels-

"No panties?" He growls into her mouth after breaking their kiss momentarily, panting with the force of his lust.

"I, uh-" She's just as bad as he is, if not worse off and her ragged breathing keeps her from forming words and trails off on a harsh, loud gasp when he thrusts inside her with a satisfying crash, his hands gripping her hips tightly, fingers digging into her skin.

Her gasp mingles with his even louder groan, a helpless sound that would embarrass him if he was lucid enough to care. Each and every thrust into her wet heat drawing the animal out in him all that much more. Picturing her struggling to walk after this. Feeling the throb on her own flesh when she's alone and touching herself. Thinking of this exactly if she ever finds herself in this den again. All this and more causes him to move faster in her to the point where the gradation of lovemaking and fucking is complete and the blurred line is gone.

"You..." Redraw. "...Are." Slam. "...The most." Redraw. "...Impossible." Slam. "...Gorgeous." Redraw. "...Clever." Slam. "...Funny." Redraw. "...Caring." Slam. "...Sexy." Redraw. "...Irritating." _Especially_ hard slam. "...Loud." Redraw. "...Amazing." Slower thrust. "...Woman I've ever loved."

He whispers the last part tenderly, his voice hoarse beyond recognition and watches her in the highest fit of arousal, placing her hands behind her on the desk and rolling her hips into his, drawing him in with tight circles.

Then he feels it. That hot poker, tingle up and down his spine and he knows he's not gonna last much longer and that he should make her come as quick as he can before he loses it completely and he thrust two fingers right where his cock is going in and out of her, her flesh slick and taut as he makes slow retreats and deep, brutal arrivals, cupping her bodacious ass to draw her closer still.

She's sobbing at this point and he is almost startled to see tears streaming down her face and cups her cheeks, kissing her. Tenderly. Sweetly. A vast contrast of his earlier mouth-fucking. "I love you. I fucking love you. Don't you ever forget that." He says, sincere and with fair warning.

And those words combined with his touch and cock seem enough to bring her to the edge and as he watches her cry out, eyes big and wide, her mouth forming the perfect 'O', he just knows he's never seen anything so damn beautiful.

And it seems, the sight also serves to get him going more so and when she leans up and kisses him with all her characteristic sweetness, whispering her love into his mouth and slowly coaxing, _teasing_ him to orgasm with the broad circles of her hips and her warm, small hands running electricity over his upper body, he obliges her with the _loudest_ yell and without thinking, muffles the sound into her bared shoulder, biting into the smooth skin and clutching her to him like he's drowning if the sounds he's making are any indication.

They take a minute and as their breathing evens out and reality starts to slowly sink in, he comes back to himself and he can taste copper and he realizes, shit, he actually drew blood on Mindy's shoulder, a long exhale of _Jesus Christ_ leaving his lips in slight horror of his actions.

"I know." He hears her reply and he could swear it comes out like a _purr_ with how satisfied she sounds.

He smiles, despite himself. "No, baby, I kinda, sort of... made you bleed a little." And leans up, hands on her hips, as she looks sideways at her aforementioned shoulder and shrugging lightly and then looking at him with a wide, brilliant smile. "War wounds."

Her hands slide over her shoulders and around his neck and in the ensuing quiet hush that comes after the storm that was their lovemaking, he takes a look at her. Her smile. The flushed, post-coital glow. Her eyes, brightened from the exaltation of their activities. The expression of complete and total _love_ on her face. And the epiphany hits him that she looks happy. Like, happy-happy. The type of happy that he never even thought he was capable of causing and thinks,_ I did that, she loves me so much that me loving her back is making her inescapably happy and I'm happy because she is._

It's new. It's new and he wants to go outside and yell everything to the world because fuck everything when he feels _this_ good.

Instead, he leans in and kisses her deeply, the contact taking further tension off his shoulders and it still surprises him that one moment this woman can rile him up and then the next, soothe like nobody. "I love you." He says with ease after they part.

"Mmm." She hums happily, heavily-lidded, running over his neck. "I love you, too."

When they leave, he's pretty sure that Gwen knows _exactly_ what went on in her husband's study because despite their best efforts, Danny's shirt is still mildly rumpled, Mindy's dress is no better, and they're both leaning against each other and walking like they've had too much to drink though he knows they only have each had one glass of red wine and a small tumbler of scotch, respectively, and it seems like happiness and love works like alcohol anyway.

What does it matter when he feels like this.

...

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Sorry I've taken so long. As you've probably heard, life has been pretty much a shit storm lately and it hasn't gotten any better. There's been issues upon issues of many kinds in the last few months and to top it all off, my brother got sick. He had surgery yesterday and is gonna get treatments soon and everything so, I know he'll be fine but, yeah, I haven't been in the mood to write much or at all. My family's worried, my mother's falling apart and to say that I've been feeling like shit would put it mildly.**

**Sorry to dump this all on you guys but, I think it makes me feel better when I tell you guys things because you're all very supportive and kind and I appreciate all of you. You're the best.**


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